Feb. 24, 2002

BIRMINGHAM - It may have taken the squad a little longer than it wanted, but the UAB women's tennis team got back to its winning ways with a 5-2 win over Charlotte Sunday afternoon at Brook Highland Racquet Club.

The Blazers (1-4) got the crucial doubles point, sweeping all three matches to begin the day, and took four of the six singles matches.

In doubles play, the No. 1 tandem of Monika Schmid and Femke deBoer rolled to an 8-1 win over Charlotte's Alice Hansen and Laura Swain. The Blazers' No. 2 duo of Sjouke Liem and Natascha Immele took an 8-3 decision over Jana Cucciniello and Jennifer Hatch, and Nadia Dellarciprete and Yvonne Ernst completed the sweep with a narrow 9-8 win over Courtney Clifford and Lauren Hastings.

Dellarciprete continued the Blazer momentum in singles play. Playing at the No. 6 slot, sophomore breezed past Clifford 6-1, 6-0. The Blazers also got straight-sets wins by Schmid at the No. 1 spot (6-0, 6-4 over Hansen), and Ernst at No. 5 (6-3, 6-3 over Hastings).

Charlotte's only wins came at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots by the hardest of margins. Swain took a third-set tiebreaker to beat the Blazers' Immele (4-6, 7-5, 7-6), and Cucciniello fought off a strong rally from Liem (6-2, 4-6, 7-6).

The Blazers' deBoer wrapped up the final point with a three-set triumph over Hatch (5-7, 7-5, 7-6).

UAB will try to continue the winning trend with a 2 p.m. March 1 dual match at Houston.

Results

Doubles:

1) Schmid/deBoer def. Hansen/Swain (Charlotte) 8/1

2) Liem/Immele def. Cucciniello/Hatch (Charlotte) 8/3

Singles:

1) Monika Schmid (UAB) def. Alice Hansen (Charlotte) 6/0 6/4

2) Laura Swain (Charlotte) def. Natascha Immele (UAB) 4/6 7/5 7/6

3) Jana Cucciniello (Charlotte) def. Sjouke Liem 6/2 4/6 7/6

4) Femke deBoer (UAB) def. Jennifer Hatch (Charlotte) 5/7 7/5 7/6

5) Yvonne Ernst (UAB) def. Lauren Hastings (Charlotte 6/3 6/3

6) Nadia Dellarciprete (UAB) def. Courtney Clifford (Charlotte) 6/1 6/0

UAB def. Charlotte 5-2