April 18, 2002

FORT WORTH, Texas - The seventh-seeded UAB women's tennis team won two doubles matches and three singles matches to defeat 10th-seeded Louisville, 4-1 in first-round action at the Conference USA Women's Tennis Championship at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center at TCU.

The Blazers are now 10-9 on the season and 5-1 in C-USA play.

At the No. 1 doubles position, UAB's Femke deBoer and Monika Schmid teamed up to defeat Melisa San Martin and Julie Penn, 8-5. Blazer tandem Natascha Immele and Sjouke Liem combined for a 8-4 victory over UL's Mariana Torres and Kelly Taylor.

In singles, the Blazers claimed wins at the No. 1, No.2 and No. 5 positions in straight sets. Schmid knocked off San Martin, 6-2, 6-4, while Immele took and easy 6-0, 6-0 win over Louisville's Kelly Keihana. UAB's Yvonne Ernst notched the Blazers final win at the No. 5 spot taking UL's Paige Eber, 6-2, 6-1.

In other C-USA first-round action, ninth-seeded Cincinnati defeated Memphis 4-1.

The Blazers will meet second-seeded DePaul Friday at 9 a.m. in second round play.

UAB 4, Louisville 1
Singles
1. Monika Schmid (UAB) def. Melisa San Martin (LOU) 6-2, 6-4
2. Natascha Immele (UAB) def. Kelly Keihana (LOU), 6-0, 6-0
3. Julie Penn (LOU) def. Sjouke Liem (UAB), 6-0, 6-3
4. Kelly Taylor (LOU) vs. Femke deBoer (UAB) DNF, 6-2, 3-6
5. Yvonne Ernst (UAB) def. Paige Eber (LOU), 6-2 6-1
6. Nadia Dellarciprete (UAB) def. Mariana Torres (LOU), 6-2, 3-4 DNF

DOUBLES
1. deBoer-Schmid (UAB) def. San Martin-Penn (LOU), 8-5
2. Immele-Liem (UAB) def. Torres-Taylor (LOU), 8-4
3. Dellarciprete-Ernst (UAB) def. Eber-Kiehna (LOU), DNF