Tulsa
Rice (Championship)
TULSA WINS THIRD-STRAIGHT C-USA CHAMPIONSHIP
4/22/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
April 22, 2012
Results
Photo Gallery
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The No. 26-ranked University of Tulsa women's tennis team won the 2012 Conference USA Championship Sunday afternoon with a 4-2 triumph over No. 40 Rice at Dunavant-Wellford Tennis Center.
The Golden Hurricane (22-3) won its third-straight league crown and its fifth title in the last six years, marking the most dominant stretch in C-USA history.
The five championships are the most by any team in Conference USA history, and Tulsa became just the second program in league history to claim three-straight championships (Tulane 2003-05).
"I'm really excited for our girls, especially the seniors who have been a huge part of winning our last three conference championships," Tulsa Head Coach Dean Orford said. "I'm also happy we will be making our sixth-straight appearance in the NCAA Championship. Everyone is playing so well right now, and I'm excited to find out who we will be playing in the first round."
Top seed Tulsa won the doubles point and took three of five decisions in singles to defeat the second-seeded Owls (16-8), who were making their first appearance in the finals since winning the crown in 2006.
Junior Michelle Farley and sophomore Maria Sant'Anna won at No. 3 doubles to kickoff competition. They defeated Kimberly Anicete and Daniela Trigo 8-5.
The No. 33 team of Natalie Beazant and Dominique Harmath equalized with an 8-4 win over the No. 71-ranked senior duo of Anastasia Erofeeva and Ewa Szatkowska at the top of the lineup.
Senior Bonny Davidson and sophomore Samantha Vickers clinched the first point of the match after they defeated Katie Gater and Ana Guzman 8-4 on the second court.
Rice was able to quickly bring the match to 1-1 when Beazant, the No. 40-ranked singles player in the nation, defeated No. 71 Erofeeva 6-1, 6-1 on the first singles court.
Szatkowska answered right back on court 3 with a 6-1, 6-1 triumph of her own over Gater.
Anicete again brought the Owls level with the Golden Hurricane, as she was able to get past Farley 7-5, 6-1 at the fifth flight.
Tulsa would not relinquish another point, and TU was put on the brink of victory when freshman Isaura Enrique topped Guzman 7-5, 6-2 from the fourth court.
No. 70 Vickers and Davidson battled back and forth for the clinching victory on courts 2 and 6, respectively.
Davidson had chances to clinch the championship in a second-set tiebreak, but during a 22-point breaker that seemingly would not end, Vickers would seal the deal with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Harmath.
Davidson's match against Trigo was halted with the senior member of the Golden Hurricane leading 6-0, 6-6 (11-11).
Vickers recorded her 32nd singles win this year, which gives her sole possession of third on the school's single-season wins list. She is also on an 11-match win streak.
All six members of the Golden Hurricane who competed in singles action over the last three days earned at least one point for TU, and Vickers and Davidson both posted 2-0 records in singles play.
This was the third-straight year Tulsa eliminated Rice in the C-USA Tournament.
Tulsa has now won 19-straight matches against Conference USA opponents dating back to the 2010 season. TU also owns a 17-1 (.944) record at the league tournament over the last six years.
Tulsa has earned C-USA's automatic berth into the NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championship, and the team will enter the tournament riding an 11-match win streak. TU will find out its opening round opponent/site during the selection show May 1.
Tennis Match Results Apr 22, 2012 at Memphis, Tenn. (Dunavant-Wellford Tennis Center)#26 Tulsa 4, #40 Rice 2
Singles competition 1. #40 Natalie Beazant (RICE) def. #71 Anastasia Erofeeva (TLS) 6-1, 6-1 2. #70 Samantha Vickers (TLS) def. Dominique Harmath (RICE) 7-5, 6-4 3. Ewa Szatkowska (TLS) def. Katie Gater (RICE) 6-1, 6-1 4. Isaura Enrique (TLS) def. Ana Guzman (RICE) 7-5, 6-2 5. Kimberly Anicete (RICE) def. Michelle Farley (TLS) 7-5, 6-1 6. Bonny Davidson (TLS) vs. Daniela Trigo (RICE) 6-0, 6-6 (11-11), unfinished
Doubles competition 1. #33 Natalie Beazant/Dominique Harmath (RICE) def. #71 Ewa Szatkowska/Anastasia Erofeeva (TLS) 8-4 2. Bonny Davidson/Samantha Vickers (TLS) def. Katie Gater/Ana Guzman (RICE) 8-4 3. Michelle Farley/Maria Sant'Anna (TLS) def. Kimberly Anicete/Daniela Trigo (RICE) 8-5
Match Notes: Rice 16-8; National ranking #40 Tulsa 22-3; National ranking #26 Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (1,3,5,4,2)
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 4, (2) Rice 2
Players Mentioned
