April 18, 2008

Box Score

HOUSTON - In Friday's final quarterfinal match of the 2008 Conference USA Women's Tennis Championship at the John E. Hoff Courts on the campus of the University of Houston, No. 3 Rice took out cross-town rival and hose No. 6 Houston, 4-3. The Cougars grabbed the early lead after doubles, but could not hang on in singles and eventually fell.

The Owls and Cougars split the first two doubles matches, and junior Jordan McCombs and freshman Lucy Forward fought hard to clinch in the point, winning their No. 1 doubles matchup against Julie Chao and Dominique Karas, 9-8.

The No. 3 doubles squad of senior Leila Salek and sophomore Vicky Simpson knocked off the Owls¹ Emily Braid and Varsha Shiva Shankar, 8-5. The No. 2 team of junior Lynley Wasson and freshman Joanna Kacprzyk fell, 8-1 to Tiffany Lee and Rebecca Lin.

In singles play, after Forward lost a two-set match 6-3, 6-0, against Chao at No. 1, Salek defeated Karas 6-3, 6-1 at No. 2.

Sophomore Neila Starratt fell to Lee 6-3, 6-3 at No. 3, and Wasson overtook Lin 6-2, 6-1 at No. 4.

Shiva Shanker defeated McCombs in a three-set match at No. 6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, to tie it up 3-3.

It would come down to the final match up at No. 5 singles between Simpson and Braid. Simpson took the first set, 6-1, but fell in the second and third set 6-4.

Besides Rice, advancing in the tournament was No. 1 Tulsa, who knocked out No. 8 ECU 5-0, while fourth-seeded SMU beat No. 5 Southern Miss, 4-2. No. 2 Marshall downed seventh-seeded UCF 4-3.

The Championship will continue Saturday at 10 a.m. with No. 1 Tulsa facing No. 4 SMU. The second match of the day between No. 3 Rice and No. 2 Marshall is slated to begin at 2 p.m.