April 13, 2007

By Tyler Koonce, Tennis Contact

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri State tennis will conclude regular season play Saturday when they host Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) opponent Eastern Kentucky. First serve is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Redhawks Tennis Complex. The match will be the final regular season contest for Southeast (11-12, 5-4 OVC) and will conclude the regular season careers of seniors Kimmy Anderson (Jackson, Mo./Jackson) and Luz Garcia (Bogota, Colombia/Troy).

Anderson is currently 5-4 in OVC play and 9-13 overall in singles while playing primarily from the No. 6 position as a senior. She also has nine doubles wins this season, playing mostly from the No. 3 line with fellow senior Garcia. 2007 marks the fourth season she has competed for the Redhawks. During her tenure, she has played from every singles and doubles position. She has won 25 career singles matches and 21 doubles contests. The native of nearby Jackson, Mo. is the daughter of Floyd and Jennifer Anderson and will graduate in December with a degree in Secondary Spanish Education. She is an accomplished student and been named an Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Scholar Athlete and Southeast Scholar Athlete as well as being a member of the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll and OVC Medal of Honor recipient.

Luz Garcia has won 15 total matches during her senior season (Sean Magee).

Garcia has won six singles matches and nine doubles contests during her senior season while playing mostly from the No. 3 slot. The former transfer from Troy University in Troy, Ala. has recorded 15 singles victories in her two seasons at Southeast and 20 wins over her four-year college career. Garcia is originally from Bogota, Colombia and is the daughter of Hernando Garcia and Janeth Mosquera. She will also graduate in December with a degree in Integrated Marketing Communications. In both her seasons as a Redhawk she has been named a Southeast Scholar Athlete for superior work in the classroom.

Head coach Mark Elliott is expected to use the same lineup as Wednesday's match at Southern Illinois. Bryce Kristal (Pleasanton, Calif./Foothill) is third in the OVC with 16 victories in No. 1 singles competition. She is 7-2 in OVC play and is the reigning Co-OVC Female Tennis Athlete of the Week along with Murray State's Anna Lask. Her twin sister, Drew Kristal (Pleasanton, Calif./Foothill) is 5-4 in the OVC and 13-9 overall on the No. 2 court. She is followed by sophomore Julia Masotti (Moji-Mirim, São Paulo, Brazil/Colegio Integral Aplicado), who bring a three-match winning streak to the No. 3 match. She is 5-4 in conference play and 11-11 overall. Freshman Elise Nattier (Flora, Ill./Flora) is expected to play from the No. 4 position. She is tied for the most conference victories by a freshman by posting a 6-3 mark and an 11-11 record overall. Seniors Garcia and Anderson are expected to round out the singles lineup in No. 5 and No. 6 play, respectively.

In doubles, the Kristal sisters lead the OVC with 15 victories in No. 1 play. Masotti and Nattier will bring their 9-9 record as a duo to the No. 2 contest. Garcia and Anderson will look for their eighth doubles win on the No. 3 court.

Saturday's match will decided the No. 5 and No. 6 seed in next week's OVC Tournament in Nashville, Tenn. The Redhawks are the host school for both the men's and women's tournaments this year and will depart on Thursday afternoon.