Tulsa
Memphis (Semifinals)
Tulsa Battles Past Memphis Into C-USA Finals
4/21/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
April 21, 2012
Results
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -The No. 26-ranked University of Tulsa women's tennis team advanced to the finals of the 2012 Conference USA Championship with a 4-3 victory over No. 64 Memphis Saturday at Dunavant-Wellford Tennis Center.
The Golden Hurricane (21-3) handed Memphis just its fifth loss of the season (16-5). This was also the second time TU was able to defeat the Tigers in a six-day span.
Tulsa will now face No. 2 seed and No. 40-ranked Rice in the finals at 10 a.m. April 22. The Golden Hurricane will be attempting to capture its third-straight conference title and its fifth in the last six years. TU has advanced to the championship match each of the last six seasons.
Tulsa and Rice met earlier this year, with the Golden Hurricane earning a 5-2 triumph over the Owls in Houston on April 1. Tulsa has never faced Rice in the finals of the C-USA Championship, but the Golden Hurricane knocked out the Owls each of the last two years in the semifinals en route to back-to-back championships.
"Memphis is such a great team, and they are only going to be better next year," Tulsa Head Coach Dean Orfordsaid. "We were able to raise our level of play today, and I'm excited that we will be playing for a conference championship tomorrow. Rice is a well-coached team, and we expect nothing but their best in the finals."
TU lost the doubles point for just the fifth time this season, but the team battled back and secured the four singles victories necessary to advance to the finals.
Junior Michelle Farley and sophomore Maria Sant'Anna fell 8-1 to Courtney Collins and Kelly Gray on the third doubles court, and Memphis earned the first point of the match after senior Bonny Davidson and sophomore Samantha Vickersfell 8-0 to Mariya Slupska and Stefanie Mikesz at the second position.
The No. 71-ranked senior duo of Anastasia Erofeeva and Ewa Szatkowskawas leading No. 51 Tiffany Welcher and Alyssa Hibberd 5-3 at the top of the lineup, but the match was halted after the Tigers won the doubles point.
Tulsa started strong in singles, with No. 70 Vickers and Farley earning victories to put the road team on top 2-1.
Vickers quickly took down Welcher 6-2, 6-2 at the second position, while Farley topped Hibberd 6-3, 6-3 on the fifth court.
Memphis drew even when No. 90 Slupska defeated Szatkowska 7-5, 6-4 from the third flight.
That was when Erofeeva, the No. 71-ranked player in the nation, posted a massive upset over No. 33 Collins 6-2, 7-6 (7-0) at the top of the lineup.
Enrique fell to No. 81 Mikesz 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 at the fourth flight, and that left the sixth court to decide which team would advance to the finals.
Davidson and Gray would split the first two sets, and the senior member of the Golden Hurricane rolled in the third set to the tune of a 6-1 victory, giving her the 7-6 (9-7), 5-7, 6-1 triumph.
This marked the first time Tulsa has knocked out the conference host in the C-USA Championship, and the TU men also defeated the host of the men's tennis championship April 20 (4-3 over UCF).
Erofeeva's singles victory moves her into sole possession of second on the school's career singles wins list (110). She already owns the school record for career doubles victories (106) and combined wins (216).
Vickers now has 31 singles wins this year, which is tied for third in a single season in TU history. She is on a 10-match win streak. Farley's 29 singles wins are tied for ninth in a single season.
Tennis Match Results Apr 21, 2012 at Memphis, Tenn. (Dunavant-Wellford Tennis Center)#26 Tulsa 4, #64 Memphis 3
Singles competition 1. #71 Anastasia Erofeeva (TLS) def. #33 Courtney Collins (MEM) 6-2, 7-6 (7-0) 2. #70 Samantha Vickers (TLS) def. Tiffany Welcher (MEM) 6-2, 6-2 3. #90 Mariya Slupska (MEM) def. Ewa Szatkowska (TLS) 7-5, 6-4 4. #81 Stefanie Mikesz (MEM) def. Isaura Enrique (TLS) 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 5. Michelle Farley (TLS) def. Alyssa Hibberd (MEM) 6-3, 6-3 6. Bonny Davidson (TLS) def. Kelly Gray (MEM) 7-6 (9-7), 5-7, 6-1
Doubles competition 1. #71 Ewa Szatkowska/Anastasia Erofeeva (TLS) vs. #51 Tiffany Welcher/Alyssa Hibberd (MEM) 5-3, unfinished 2. Mariya Slupska/Stefanie Mikesz (MEM) def. Samantha Vickers/Bonny Davidson (TLS) 8-0 3. Courtney Collins/Kelly Gray (MEM) def. Michelle Farley/Maria Sant'Anna (TLS) 8-1
Match Notes: Memphis 16-5; National ranking #64 Tulsa 21-3; National ranking #26 Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (2,5,3,1,4,6)
2012 C-USA WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE DUNAVANT-WELLFORD TENNIS CENTER / MEMPHIS, TENN. FIRST ROUND - Thursday, April 19 Match 1: (8) East Carolina 4, (9) UAB 3 Match 2: (5) Marshall 5, (12) UTEP 0 Match 3: (7) UCF 4, (10) SMU 2 Match 4: (6) Houston 4, (11) Southern Miss 0
QUARTERFINALS - Friday, April 20 Match 5: (1) Tulsa 4, (8) East Carolina 0 Match 6: (4) Memphis 4, (5) Marshall 0 Match 7: (2) Rice 4, (7) UCF 0 Match 8: (3) Tulane 4, (6) Houston 4
SEMIFINALS - Saturday, April 21 Match 9: (1) Tulsa 4, (4) Memphis 3 Match 10: (2) Rice 4, (3) Tulane 2
CHAMPIONSHIP - Sunday, April 22 Match 11: (1) Tulsa vs. (2) Rice - 10 a.m./A Courts
Players Mentioned
