March 26, 2002

Complete Week-Long Spring Break Results

HILTON HEAD, S.C.- Playing with only five members of their squad, the Southeast Missouri State Otahkian tennis team made a valiant effort during their five-game Spring Break road trip to Hilton Head, S.C. Unfortunately, the effort did not lead to many victories on the trip but a total team effort allowed the Otahkians to best Fairleigh-Dickson 4-3 on their second day of competition.

The lack of a sixth player put Southeast at an immediate disadvantage, as they were forced to default and number six singles match and number three doubles match before the meet got started. Southeast would then be forced to win the other two doubles matches to win a point for doubles and three of the five singles matches.

Southeast (1-7 overall) started the week off with a 6-1 loss to Lipscomb University. Number one player Daniela Garcia picked up Southeast's lone victory when her opponent retired in the second set. The Otahkians were also close in doubles, but Lipscomb was able to pull out 8-5 and 8-6 decisions.

Southeast's lone win came against Fairleigh-Dickinson, a team the Otahks had also defeated in their 2001 Spring Break trip. The doubles squads of Daniela Garcia and Adrienne Bland and Andrea Aldana and Cassie Foster were both able to score important victories to push Southeast to a 2-1 victory in the doubles portion of the match. After Southeast and FDU split the first four singles matches (with wins by Kay Ehlke and Cassie Foster won the Otahkians) the entire match came down to Aldana versus FDU number three player Elina Magid. Aldana won the first set 6-3, dropped the second set 4-6 and by wearing down Magid with a combination of deep and short shots, pulled out the third set 6-2 to push Southeast to its first team victory of the 2002 Spring season.

The next day, the Otahkians ran into Big 10 power Minnesota, whose number one doubles team of Havelkova and Vladea, is one of the top teams in the country. Coach Donna Ryan was proud of her team's effort versus the tough Gopher squad, but Southeast fell 6-1 overall, getting their lone victory from sophomore Kay Ehlke, in a 6-2, 6-0 win out of the number five position.

Western Kentucky was able to defeat the Otahkians 5-2 on Wednesday of the week, but the Otahkians were able to score victory by Andrea Aldana and Kay Ehlke.

On the final day of competition, the Otahkians ran out of gas and fell 7-0 to a top-knotch Wichita State Shockers team.

Southeast will next face Tennessee State on Friday at 2:00 p.m. in Nashville.