April 21, 2007

MONROEVILLE, Pa. - Saint Louis fell to Duquesne for the second time this season but the 4-1 loss today effectively ended the Billikens season on the second day of play at the Atlantic 10 Championship at Club 4 Life in Monroeville, Pa. The Bills, who tied for seventh place, finish the season with a 13-15 record.

The Billikens made the Dukes (16-7) work for the doubles point. Tara Grant and Katerina Lozanova paired to defeat Jacqueline Hughes and Rebecca Poole 8-4 at the No. 1 position. For Lozanova, the win moved her into ninth place on SLU's all-time doubles win charts with 44 victories. But the teams were back even after Allison Dobbins and Rachel McCullagh suffered a loss to Alexandria Albano and Andrea Sailer at the No. 3 spot by the same score. Jo Becker and Ana Renda battled but it wasn't enough to overpower Johanna Bezjak and Rachel McGowen as SLU fell 6-8.

Things didn't start out well for Saint Louis in singles action as McCullagh fell to McGowen 0-6, 4-6 at No. 4 and Becker lost to Sailer 3-6, 2-6 at No. 5. Lozanova put what was ultimately the Billikens' only point of the day on the board with a 5-7, 6-2 (10-7) win over Bezjak at the top spot. She finishes her collegiate career with 54 singles wins to tie for eighth on SLU's all-time list. But Caitlin Bokulic's 6-7, 1-6 loss at No. 6 singles ended the dual with the Bills on the losing end. Grant and Renda's singles matches weren't played to a finish.

"It was a really good, close match," head coach Jonathan Zych said. "All of our players fought hard and we were in it until the end. I'm so proud of our effort today and of how well these players handled this season after we lost Amanda (Hellberg) for the spring season."

Doubles
No. 1 - Tara Grant/Katerina Lozanova (SLU) def. Jacqueline Hughes/Rebecca Poole (DU) - 8-4
No. 2 - Johanna Bezjak/Rachel McGowen (DU) def. Jo Becker/Ana Renda (SLU) - 8-6
No. 3 - Alexandria Albano/Andrea Sailer (DU) def. Allison Dobbins/Rachel McCullagh (SLU) - 8-4

Singles
No. 1 - Katerina Lozanova (SLU) def. Johanna Bezjak (DU) - 5-7, 6-2 (10-7)
No. 2 - Jacqueline Hughes (DU) vs. Ana Renda (SLU) - 6-0, 4-6 DNF
No. 3 - Rebecca Poole (DU) vs. Tara Grant (SLU) - 6-4, 4-5 DNF
No. 4 - Rachel McGowen (DU) def. Rachel McCullagh (SLU) - 6-0, 6-4
No. 5 - Andrea Sailer (DU) def. Jo Becker (SLU) - 6-3, 6-2
No. 6 - Alicia McNamara (DU) def. Caitlin Bokulic's (SLU) - 7-6, 6-1