April 10, 2005

Cullowhee, N.C. - The Western Carolina women's tennis team was unable to carry momentum gained from Saturday's inspired play over into Sunday as the Catamounts were swept by the Georgia Southern Eagles, 7-0, in the final regular season conference home match-up for WCU.

Prior to the start of the doubles competition, Catamount head coach Jan Stubbs honored her lone senior from this year's squad, Kristin Cotton. The Clemson, S.C., native was honored with words of praise from her head coach, as well as flowers and a gift.

The third flight of doubles was the first to complete action on Sunday morning. Western junior April Yount and freshman Susanna Sjokvist fell 8-1 to give GSU the early advantage. Cotton and freshman teammate Ashley Harris, fresh off their first conference doubles victory on Saturday, fought hard to rally to within 5-2, but were finished off by Georgia Southern's Stephanie Tyrell and Kim Wollett, 8-2, giving the Eagles the double's point.

Wrapping up doubles play, at number one, freshman Trish Hanson and Katherine Ptak fell behind quickly, 6-0 to the Eagles' tandem of Szilvia Zsakay and Ciara Finucane. Yet, behind the serve of the junior Ptak, Western's duo rallied back to secure their first game in the match to shorten the deficit to, 6-1. WCU's ones would take another game before eventually bowing out, 8-2.

One of Western's top singles performances of the afternoon came at the number five position. Sjokvist, a native of Gustafs, Sweden, fought hard in the first set before dropping it 7-5 to GSU junior, Zsakay. Sjokvist was swept in the second set, 6-0.

At the top, Hanson fell to Tyrell, 6-2, 6-3, while second-seeded Katherine Ptak was outlasted by Finucane, 6-3, 6-1. Completing Western's scoring for the day were Kristin Cotton and April Yount, falling (6-0, 6-2) and (6-0, 6-0), respectively.

Cotton and the Catamount tennis team have one remaining home date left on this year's schedule as the season-ending Southern Conference tournament looms on the horizon. The Cats will host UNC Charlotte in non-conference action on Wednesday, April 13 at 2:30 pm on The Courts at Reid Gym.

Georgia Southern 7, Western Carolina 0
Cullowhee, NC - Sunday, April 10, 2005

Doubles
1.  Zsakay/Finucane (GSU) def. Hanson/Ptak (WCU) 8-2
2.  Tyrell/Wollett (GSU) def. Cotton/Harris (WCU) 8-2
3.  Bruneteaux/Reynolds (GSU) def. Sjokvist/Yount (WCU) 8-1

Singles
1.  Stephanie Tyrell (GSU) def. Tricia Hanson (WCU) 6-2, 6-3
2.  Ciara Finucane (GSU) def. Katherine Ptak (WCU) 6-3, 6-1
3.  Charlotte Bruneteaux (GSU) def. Kristin Cotton (WCU) 6-0, 6-2
4.  Szilvia Zsakay (GSU) def. Ashley Harris (WCU) 6-3, 6-3
5.  Heather Reynolds (GSU) def. Susanna Sjokvist (WCU) 7-5, 6-0
6.  Kim Wollett (GSU) def. April Yount (WCU) 6-0, 6-0

Georgia Southern: 8-11, 4-4 SoCon
Western Carolina: 4-14, 0-9 SoCon