April 17, 2008

Box Score

HOUSTON - In Thursday's final match of the 2008 Conference USA Women's Tennis Championship at the John E. Hoff Courts on the campus of the University of Houston, host and sixth-seeded Houston downed No. 11 UTEP, 4-2. Houston rallied to win the doubles point at spots two and three and then outlasted the Miners in singles to advance to quarterfinal action on Friday.

UTEP took a slight early advantage when it won the first doubles match at No. 1. Weronika Bloczynska and Megan Pritchard downed Lucy Forward and Jordan McCombs, 8-5. Houston would not give in, however, and took identical 8-6 victories Nos. 2 and 3 for the 1-0 lead.

Joanna Kacprzyk and Lynley Wasson won at the second doubles line to claim the doubles point, while Vicky Simpson and Leila Salek captured the win at No. 2 to help the Cougars cause.

In singles, Simpson was off first at No. 5 after a 6-1, 6-2, win against Vicky Michaud. Simpson improved to 17-7 with the win.

UTEP fought back to grab a singles point at No. 1, when Bloczynska took her second win of the day over Forward. The native of Poland won in three-sets, 0-6, 6-0, 6-4, to make the score 2-1.

Moments later, Houston's Nelia Starratt helped her team inch closer to the win when she easily cruised past Pritchard, 6-3, 6-4, at the No. 3 spot.

The Miners would not go away quietly though, as Amber Brightly closed the UTEP deficit to 3-2 when she defeated Joanna Kacprzyk 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, at No. 6.

Salek provided the clinching Houston point when she fought back to claim a victory at No. 2. The senior dropped the first set 5-7 but re-grouped the take out Marina DeLuca 6-2, 6-0, in the final two sets to seal the UH win. Salek is now a team-best 17-6 on the season.

Ten years ago on the same hardcourts, the Cougars captured their only C-USA title, sweeping past Southern Miss, Marquette and UAB for the league crown. The 1998 tournament was the first and only time Houston has played host to the conference tournament prior to this season.

Since winning the '98 title, the Cougars have finished third and fourth on three separate occasions a piece. In its 14 seasons in the Southwest Conference, Houston never won a league title, and its highest finish was a runner-up spot in 1990.

Houston advances to face cross-town rival No. 3 Rice at 2 p.m. on Friday in the second set of quarterfinal match-ups and improves to 16-10 on the spring. UTEP concludes its season at 9-12.