Women's Tennis Advances to Championship Match

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla.—The Barry women's tennis team advanced to the finals of the NCAA Division II National Championship Tournament for the first time in school history with a 5-3 win over Georgia College and State University at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Fla.

The Bucs (27-3), who had beaten the Bobcats 5-4 back in April, took them down again in the semifinals. Last time, the Buccaneers won all three doubles, but toady they dropped two out of three.

Conny Grunes and Gizella Turbok kept the Bucs from being shutout in the doubles, winning 8-2 over the Bobcats' top team Luiza Biktyakova and Mia Paavilainen. The Bobcats took the bottom two flights.

In the singles, Grunes beat Biktyakova 6-0, 6-2 at number one and Valeria Papandrea made short work of Kremena Vassileva 6-0, 6-0 at number six. Annika Persson bounced the Bobcats (24-4) back to 3-3 by defeating Barry's Maria Lopez at number five.

But Victoria Courmes knocked out Caroline Lefevre 6-4, 6-2 at number two and Gizella Turbok handled Paavilainen 7-6, 6-0 at number three to advance the Bucs to the final match.

The win by Papandrea gives her 70 spring dual match wins, breaking the Barry career record of 69 held by Vanessa Campello.

The Bucs now play defending national champions, BYU-Hawai'i at noon on Monday for the national championship.

The Buccaneer men fell 5-2 to the number-two ranked BYU-Hawai'i Seasiders in the semifinal match.

The Bucs (23-4) dropped two out of three doubles, winning at number two behind Gerold Wiring and Thomas Hipp 8-1 over Joon Woong Yoon and Hong Tae Kim.

In singles, Sebastian Losavio defeated Kim 6-1, 6-4 at number four, but the Seasiders (30-1) captured the filghts at two, five and six to advance to the championship match.



Tennis Match Results
Georgia College vs Barry
May 10, 2003 at Altmonte Springs, Fla.

Barry 5, Georgia College 3

Singles competition:
1. Conny Grunes (BARRY) def. Luiza Biktyakova (GCSU) 6-0, 6-2
2. Victoria Courmes (BARRY) def. Caroline Lefevre (GCSU) 6-4, 6-2
3. Gizella Turbok (BARRY) def. Mia Paavilainen (GCSU) 7-6, 6-0
4. Greta Trotman (BARRY) vs. Anna Shchupak (GCSU) unfinished
5. Annika Persson (GCSU) def. Maria Lopez (BARRY) 6-2, 6-0
6. Valeria Papandrea (BARRY) def. Kremena Vassileva (GCSU) 6-0, 6-0

Doubles competition:
1. Gizella Turbok/Conny Grunes (BARRY) def. Luiza Biktyakova/Mia Paavilainen (GCSU) 8-2
2. Caroline Lefevre/Anna Shchupak (GCSU) def. Victoria Courmes/Maria Lopez (BARRY) 8-5
3. Annika Persson/Kremena Vassileva (GCSU) def. Greta Trotman/Valeria Papandrea (BARRY) 8-6

Notes:
Barry 25-3
Georgia College 24-4
Barry advances to play BYU-Hawai'i for the NCAA Division II Championship
on Monday, May 12, 2003


Tennis Match Results
BYU-Hawai'i vs Barry
May 10, 2003 at Altamonte Springs, Fla.

BYU-Hawai'i 5, Barry 2

Singles competition:
1. Samir M'Bioka (BARRY) vs. Jan Krejci (BYUH) 7-6, unfinished
2. Peter Madrassey (BYUH) def. Thomas Hipp (BARRY) 6-3, 6-2
3. Gerold Wiring (BARRY) vs. Joon Woong Yoon (BYUH) 6-7, 2-1, unfinished
4. Sebastian Losavio (BARRY) def. Hong Tae Kim (BYUH) 6-1, 6-4
5. Daouda Ndiaye (BYUH) def. Filip Norrman (BARRY) 6-2, 6-3
6. Wen-Lung Chang (BYUH) def. Dirk Benninghaus (BARRY) 3-6, 6-0, 6-1

Doubles competition:
1. Jan Krejci/Peter Madrassey (BYUH) def. Samir M'Bioka/Sebastian Losavio (BARRY) 8-6
2. Gerold Wiring/Thomas Hipp (BARRY) def. Joon Woong Yoon/Hong Tae Kim (BYUH) 8-1
3. Wen-Lung Chang/Leon So'onalole (BYUH) def. Filip Norrman/Dirk Benninghaus (BARRY) 8-2

Notes:
Barry 23-4
BYU-Hawai'i 30-1