April 23, 2006

College Station, Texas - The University of Missouri women's tennis team was defeated by the 36th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies, 7-0. The loss marks the end of the regular season for the Tigers who will begin the Big 12 Championships on Thursday.

Missouri dropped its second match in a row, both to ranked conference teams on the road this weekend. Saturday, the Tigers fell to No. 19 Texas, 7-0.

After Sunday's loss to Texas A&M, Tiger Head Coach Blake Starkey gave all the credit to the Aggies.

"A&M played very well today. They had a large crowd and they were playing for second in the conference. Today just wasn't our day."

The day started with the Aggies sweeping the three doubles matches to earn the doubles point. At No. 1, the Tiger duo of Yelena Olshanskaya and Chrissy Svetlic gave a great effort, but fell, 8-7(3), to the 28th-ranked Aggie duo of Tiffany Clifford and Sarah Foster. At No. 2 doubles, Texas A&M's 40th-ranked doubles team of Anna Lubinsky and Nicki Mechem defeated Missouri's Erika Josbena and Amanda Pratzel, 8-4. At No. 3, Missouri's Charlotte Bellis and Lubica Nadasska fell to Anna Blagodarova and Marisa Druss, 8-3.

In singles action, the Tigers lost all six matches. At No. 1, No. 54 Anna Lubinsky defeated Missouri's Yelena Olshanskaya by default after Olshanskaya retired in the first set because of an injury. Olshanskaya injured her right hand during the warm-up of her singles match. She started the match and completed the first four games, but could not finish.

At No. 2, Missouri sophomore Lubica Nadasska fell, 6-1, 6-3, to A&M's Sarah Foster. After losing the first set, 6-2, at No. 3 singles, Erika Josbena dropped a close second set, 7-5, to lose her match to A&M's Anna Blagodarova.

Missouri's Amanda Pratzel, Chrissy Svetlic, and Charlotte Bellis lost their matches in straight sets at No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6, respectively.

The Tigers will return to Columbia to prepare for the Big 12 Championships, which begin Thursday in Waco, Texas. The Tigers will be the 11th seed in the tournament and will play the 6th seed Thursday.

Results

No. 36 Texas A&M 7 Missouri 0

College Station, Texas

Singles

1. #54 Anna Lubinsky (A&M) def. Yelena Olshanskaya 4-0 (retired, injury)

2. Sarah Foster (A&M) def. Lubica Nadasska 6-1, 6-3

3. Ana Blagodarova (A&M) def. Erika Josbena 6-2, 7-5

4. Nicki Mechem (A&M) def. Amanda Pratzel 6-2, 6-1

5. Tiffany Clifford (A&M) def. Chrissy Svetlic 6-1, 6-1

6. Marisa Druss (A&M) def. Charlotte Bellis 6-1, 6-1

Doubles

1. #28 Clifford/Foster (A&M) def. Olshanskaya/Svetlic 8-7(3)

2. #40 Lubinsky/Mechem (A&M) def. Pratzel/Josbena 8-4

3. Blagodarova/Druss (A&M) def. Nadasska/Bellis 8-3