March 29, 2006

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Virginia Tech snapped a four-match losing streak Wednesday afternoon with a 5-2 victory over Old Dominion in a match played at Huntington Park. Tech improves to 11-7 while ODU falls to 14-7 on the year.

The Hokies, ranked No. 66 in this week's FILA/Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll, got off to a slow start dropping two of the three doubles contests to lose the first point in the match but bounced back to take five of the six singles matches for the win.

In singles action, Inga Beermann (Fr., Bad Salzuflen, Germany) easily won her No. 1 match, 6-1, 6-0, over Kerstin Endlich while J.J Larson (So., Orchard Park, Fla.) cruised to a 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 2 against Barbara Costa. Ashley James (Jr., Williamsburg, Va.) won 7-6, 6-1 at No. 4 versus Fernanda Luiz, Jessica Long (So., Elizabethtown, Pa.) edged Larissa Santos, 2-6, 7-5, 1-0 (8), in the No. 5 match, and Bethan James (So., Flintshire, UK) defeated Barbara Kerner, 6-1, 6-3 at No. 6. Tech's lone loss occurred at No. 2 as Anat Elazari (Sr., Tiberias, Israel) fell 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, to Charleen Haarhoff.

In doubles, Tech won the No. 3 match as James/Long defeated Costa/Kerner, 8-6. However, ODU took the other two matches as Elazari/Larson, ranked No. 40, were upset at No. 1, 8-2 by Endlich/Santos and Beerman/Jessica Brouwer (Fr., Maarssen, Netherlands) fell 8-2 at No. 2 against Haarhoff/Luiz.

Tech returns to action this weekend as the Hokies travel to Winston-Salem, N.C. on Sat., Apr. 1, for noon contest at No. 17 Wake Forest and then will play Sun., Apr. 2 at No. 47 NC State in a 2:30 p.m. contest.

#66 Virginia Tech 5, Old Dominion 2

Singles
1. #121 Inga Beermann (VT) def. Kerstin Endlich (ODU) 6-1, 6-0
2. Charleen Haarhoff (ODU) def. Anat Elazari (VT) 3-6, 6-0, 6-3
3. J.J. Larson (VT) def. Barbara Costa (ODU) 6-4, 6-2
4. Ashley James (VT) def. Fernanda Luiz (ODU) 7-6, 6-1
5. Jessica Long (VT) def. Larissa Santos (ODU) 2-6, 7-5, 1-0 (8)
6. Bethan James (VT) def. Barbara Kerner (ODU) 6-1, 6-3

Doubles
1. Endlich/Santos (ODU) def. #40 Elazari/Larson (VT) 8-2
2. Haarhoff/Luiz (ODU) d. Beermann/Jessica Brouwer (VT) 8-2
3. A. James/Long (VT) def. Costa/Kerner (ODU) 8-6