NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (04/20/07) - Georgia State (11-8, 1-2 CAA) women's tennis, seeded fourth, outlasted fifth-seeded UNC Wilmington 4-2 in the quarterfinals of the CAA Women's Tennis Championship on Friday morning at Huntington Park Tennis Center. This is the first time the Panthers have advanced to the CAA semifinals.
In a tightly contested match that lasted over three hours, the Seahawks grabbed an early 1-0 lead by claiming the doubles point. UNCW's number three team of Cassie Martin and Jamie deGraffenreid defeated Mateja Podgorsek and Emma Stahl-Johansson, 8-1 before Georgia State's number two tandem of Martina Nitkova and Kiera Strickland posted an 8-4 win over Kayla Schwenk and Lauren Isenhour. The Seahawks captured the deciding match at number one doubles as UNCW's Molly Molony and Priscilla Roberts edged Dariana Kozmina and Rachel Malina, 9-8 (7-5).
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The Panthers fought back in singles with a 6-2, 7-5 win by Kozmina over Molony at number one, a 6-0, 6-4 victory by Nitkova over Roberts at number two and a 6-0, 6-2 triumph by Malina over Schwenk at number three. UNCW got within 3-2 as Martin defeated Stahl-Johansson at number four, but the Panthers closed out the match when Strickland beat deGraffenreid, 6-3, 6-4 at number six.
Georgia State will face top seed and 13th-ranked William & Mary in the semifinals on Saturday morning at 10 a.m.
2007 CAA WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP - Quarterfinals
Huntington Park Tennis Center ? Newport News, Va.
#4 Georgia State 4, #5 UNC Wilmington 2
Singles
#1 Dariana Kozmina (GSU) def. Molly Molony (UNCW), 6-2, 7-5
#2 Martina Nitkova (GSU) def. Priscilla Roberts (UNCW), 6-0, 6-4
#3 Rachel Malina (GSU) def. Kayla Schwenk (UNCW), 6-0, 6-2
#4 Cassie Martin (UNCW) def. Emma Stahl-Johansson (GSU), 7-5, 6-2
#5 Mateja Podgorsek (GSU) vs. Lauren Isenhour (UNCW), 5-7, 6-2, 1-5 - DNF
#6 Kiera Strickland (GSU) def. Jamie deGraffenreid (UNCW), 6-3, 6-4
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1, 4, 6*
*Clinched match
Doubles
#1 Molony/Roberts (UNCW) def. Malina/Kozmina (GSU), 9-8 (7-5)
#2 Nitkova/Strickland (GSU) def. Schwenk/Isenhour (UNCW), 8-4
#3 Martin/deGraffenreid (UNCW) def. Podgorsek/Stahl-Johansson (GSU), 8-1
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1
