March 15, 2005

St. Louis, Mo. - Saint Louis University women's tennis team (7-11, 0-3 Conference USA) has the week off from competition before it hosts Bradley (2-4) at the Sunset (indoor) Tennis Center (10911 Gravois Industrial Court near I-270 and Gravois) at 2 p.m. on Sat., March 26.

RECAP: Last week the Bills played West Florida and Clayton State in Pensacola, Fla., and then met Spring Hill in Mobile, Ala., in Spring Break dual match action. SLU dropped its first two matches 5-1 and 9-0, respectively, but rebounding with a 5-4 win over Spring Hill.

ABOUT BRADLEY: Head coach Scott Petersen is in his first year with the Braves leading seniors Kelley Wood and Nicole Kirley. The Missouri Valley Braves will face Idaho State, Southern Utah, UW-Green Bay and Colorado State in Las Vegas, Nev., before visiting the Billikens.

THE BILLIKEN COACHING STAFF: Along side fourth-year head coach Shervin Saedinia and Chad Andrews. Prior to her 2003 Billiken coaching appointment, Saedinia played tennis at Syracuse University where she was a four-time MVP. Andrews joined the staff in August 2004 after completing his tennis career as a Billiken.

SINGLE-SIDED:

Katerina Lozanova (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) is 9-3 at No. 1 singles but is currently sidelined with an injury ... lost to Beatrix Csordas (DePaul) 6-2, 2-1, retired ... defeated Gulsah Esen (UAB) 6-4, 7-5 ... defeated Marlene Dirnstorfer (Memphis) ... defeated Elizabeth Garza (SMS) 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 ... defeated Amber Lenfert (Western Illiniois) 6-3, 6-3 ... defeated Bryce Kristal (SEMO) 7-6, 6-2 ... defeated Elizabeth Bingier (Illinois State) 6-4, 6-2 ... lost to Viaika Jovanovic (No. 61 Arkansas) 6-4, 6-4 ... defeated Ana Inex Exeni (Wichita State) 6-0, 6-1 ... defeated Sonia Bailey (Oral Roberts) ... defeated Sonia Bailey (Oral Roberts) 6-0, 6-1 ... lost to Daniela Muscolino (No. 50 Tulsa) 6-1, 6-2.

Amanda HELLBERG (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven) is 3-2 at No. 1 singles and 8-4 at No. 2 singles (11-6 overall) after defeating Victoria Malone (Spring Hill) 6-2, 6-0 at No. 1 singles ... defeated Julia Gandia (Clayton State) 6-5, Gandia retired at No. 1 singles ... lost to Nicole Plikat (West Florida) 6-3, 6-1 at No. 1 singles ... defeated Meredith Vincent (No. 66 Ohio State) 4-6, 6-1 (10-2) at No. 1 singles ... lost to Jennifer Migan (Indiana State) 6-2, 6-3 at No. 1 singles ... lost to Marina Parashkevova (DePaul) 6-4, 6-7 (7-3), 10-6 at No. 2 singles ... defeated Julia von Samson (UAB) 6-3, 6-7 (4), 10-5 ... defeated Andrea Feichtinger (Memphis) 6-1, 7-6 (1) ... defeated Marja Stanojevic (SMS) 6-4, 6-2 ... defeated Jennifer Lutzke (Western Illinois) 6-0, 6-0 ... defeated Drew Kristal (SEMO) 6-0, 6-3 ... lost to Laura Gravino (Illinois State) 6-1, 6-1 ... lost to Maryori Franco (No. 61 Arkansas) 6-2, 6-2 ... defeated Wendi Webster (Wichita State) 6-4, 6-4 ... defeated Adrianna Garcia (Oral Roberts) 6-0, 6-0 ... defeated Adrianna Garcia (Oral Roberts) 6-2, 6-0 ... lost to Santie Delport (No. 50 Tulsa) 6-7 (6), 6-3, 10-4.

Ana Renda (Bahia Blanca, Argentina/Escuelo Normal Superior) is 2-3 at No. 3 singles, but suffered a season-ending knee injury ... lost to Veronique Parke-Bedard (Illinois State) 1-2, and forced to retire with a knee injury ... lost to Iliana Pacheco (No. 61 Arkansas) 7-6 (4), 6-4 ... defeated Genevieve Spink (Wichita State) 6-4, 6-3 ... defeated Emily Arkel (Oral Roberts) 7-6 (5), Arkel retired ... was leading Laine Sommer (Oral Roberts) 6-2, 4-0 when play was suspended ... lost to Carla Zabaleta (No. 50 Tulsa) 6-2, 6-1.

Tara Grant (Austin, Texas/St. Stephen's) is 1-4 at No. 2 singles, 2-4 at No. 3 singles and 3-2 at No. 4 singles (6-10 overall) after defeating Alexis Murray (Spring Hill) 6-4, 6-4 ... lost to Julia Chergova (Clayton State) 6-2, 6-0 ... lost to Paola Arevalo (West Florida) 6-0, 5-7 (10-6) ... lost to Kristin Messmer (Ohio State) 7-5, 6-2 ... lost to Joanne Schikerling (Indiana State) 6-0, 6-2 ... lost to Gergana Ganeva (DePaul) 6-0, 6-1 ... lost to Omischa Maier-Knapp (UAB) 6-0, 6-0 ... lost to Brooke Cowie (Memphis) 6-0, 6-3 ... lost to Paty Manzur (SMS) 6-2, 6-2 ... defeated Tracey Forkin (Western Illinois) 6-0, 6-1 ... defeated Daniela Garcia (SEMO) (4-6, 6-4 (10-3) at No. 3 singles ... defeated Emilie Sechaud (Illinois State) 6-4, 6-1 at No. 4 singles ... lost to Karina Lefaja (No. 61 Arkansas) 6-1, 6-3 ... defeated Alejandra Ripoll (Wichita State) 6-4, 7-5 ... defeated Laine Sommer (Oral Roberts) 6-4, 7-6 (10) ... was leading Emily Arkel (Oral Roberts) 6-2, 2-1 when play was suspended ... lost to Lisette Pereira (No. 50 Tulsa) 6-2, 6-2.

Tina Grasso (St. Louis, Mo./St. Joseph's Academy) is 0-5 at No. 4 singles, 1-5 at No. 5 singles, 1-1 at No. 6 singles (2-11 overall) after losing to Catherine Thames (Spring Hill) 6-0, 6-2 ... lost to Katrin Gutknecht (Clayton State) 6-1, 6-2 ... lost to Christina Mardones (West Florida) 6-2, 6-2 ... lost to Silvia Prajescu (No. 66 Ohio State) 6-0, 6-0 ... lost to Magda Narczewska (Indiana State) 6-1, 6-1 ... lost to Bojana Murisic (DePaul) 6-0, 6-0 ... lost to Annemieke Elsholz (UAB) 6-1, 6-0 ... lost to Christina Wieser (Memphis) 6-1, 6-1 ... lost to Carolina Ardila (SMS) 6-2, 6-2 ... defeated Bridget Walczak (Western Illinois) 6-0, 6-2 ... lost to Kimmy Anderson (SEMO) 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 at No. 5 singles ... lost to Yawna Allen (No. 61 Arkansas) 6-2, 6-0 at No. 6 singles ... defeated Amanda Beynonn (Oral Roberts) 6-3, 6-0.

Rachel McCullagh (Sugar Land, Texas/John Newcombe) is 2-3 at No. 3 singles, 2-3 at No. 4 singles, 3-2 at No. 5 singles (7-8 overall) after defeating Georgia Beale (Spring Hill) 6-0, 6-0 ... defeated to Elena Bondari (Clayton State) 6-1, 6-1 ... lost to Pilar Cortes (West Florida) 6-0, 6-2 ... lost to Lindsay Bryan (No. 66 Ohio State) 6-0, 6-0 ... lost to Marie Caujolle (Indiana Sate) 6-3, 4-6 (11-9) ... lost to Brenda Leung (DePaul) 6-4, 6-2 ... lost to Samrin Tanzeem (UAB) 2-6, 7-5, 10-8 ... lost to Kristin Noble (Memphis) ... defeated Malie Gakovic (SMS) 7-5, 7-6 ... defeated Jessica Drake (Western Illinois) 6-0, 6-1 ... defeated Ashley Hooper (SEMO) (6-0, 6-1) at No. 3 singles ... lost to Carolyn Parent (Illinois State) 7-6 (10-8), 7-5 at No. 5 singles ... lost to Melissa Cornett (No. 61 Arkansas) 6-1, 6-1 ... defeated Jackie Richey (Wichita State) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 ... defeated Jacquelyn Robles (Oral Roberts) 6-0, 4-6, 10-4 ... defeated Jacquelyn Robles (Oral Roberts) 6-2, 6-2 ... lost to Timberly Greenly 6-2, 6-1.

Christina Gonzalez (Omaha, Neb./Marian) is 1-3 at No. 6 singles, and sidelined with an injury ... lost to Ashley Maxwell (Illinois State) 6-3, 6-1 ... lost to Anna Martorell (Wichita State) 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-5 ... defeated Deborah Skinstad 6-0, 6-0 ... lost to Agostina Santoro (No. 50 Tulsa) 7-5, 6-0.

DOUBLETAKE:

Lozanova/Grant are 5-6 at No. 1 doubles but lost to Parashkevova/Csordas (DePaul) 8-2 ... lost to von Samson/Elsholz (UAB) 9-7 ... lost to Dirstorfer/Cowie (Memphis) 9-8 (3) ... lost to Elizabeth Garza/Maja Stanojevic (SMS) 9-7 ... defeated Amber Lenfert/D. Lutzke (Western Illinois) 8-2 ... defeated B. Kristal/D. Kristal (SEMO) 8-0 ... defeated Parke-Bedard/Maxwell (Illinois State) 8-5 ... lost to Pacheco/Ledaja (No. 61 Arkansas) 8-4 ... lost to Exeni/Webster (Wichita State) 9-8(5) ... defeated Bailey/Arkel (Oral Roberts) 8-2 ... defeated Delport/Grimes (No. 50 Tulsa), 8-6.

Hellberg/McCullagh are 1-2 at No. 1 doubles, 2-4 at No. 2 doubles and 3-6 overall after defeating Malone/Murray (Spring Hill) 8-1 ... lost to Gandia/Chergova (Clayton State) 8-5 ... lost to Plikat/Cortes (West Florida) 8-2 ... lost to Ganeva/Rehusova (DePaul) 8-4 ... lost to Esen/Maier-Knapp (UAB) 8-4 ... lost to Feichtinger/Tijoe (Memphis) 9-7 ... M.Gakovic/P.Manzur (SMS) 8-4 ... defeated T. Forkin/J. Lutzke (Western Illinois) 8-1 ... defeated Garcia/Hooper (SEMO) 8-2.

Hellberg/Renda are 4-1 at No. 2 doubles, after defeating Bingieer/Parent (Illinois State) 9-8 (7-1) ... lost to Cornett/Jovanovic 8-1 ... defeated Spink/Ripoll (Wichita State) 8-1 ... defeated Garcia/Sommer (Oral Roberts) 8-1 ... defeated Pereira/Santoro (No. 50 Tulsa), 8-5.

McCullagh/Grasso are 2-2 at No. 3 doubles, after defeating Gravino/Simovic (Illinois State) 9-8 (7-4) ... lost to Pacheco/Morton (No. 61 Arkansas) 8-1 ... defeated Robles/Skinstad (Oral Roberts) 8-2 ... lost to Greenly/Zabaleta (No. 50 Tulsa), 8-1.

Grant/Grasso are 2-1 at No. 2 doubles after defeating Thames/Beale (Spring Hill) 9-7 ... defeated Bondari/Gutknecht (Clayton State) 8-2 ... lost to Olave/Oblitas (West Florida) 8-4.

ZYCH'S ZONE: "The women did an outstanding job in their most recent matches in Florida. We've had some tough obstacles with our injuries limiting our roster to just four. The women have kept that winning attitude and used no excuses. I am both impressed by and proud of them."