May 10, 2008
2008 NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN'S TENNIS EAST
REGIONAL
#3 Slippery Rock def. # 2 Bryant University, 5-1
Second Round @ Providence, R.I. (hosted by Bryant
University)
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Taking a 2-1 lead into singles play,
third-seeded Slippery Rock earned wins at No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3
singles to earn a 5-1 win over second-seeded Bryant University in
NCAA Division II women's tennis second round action Saturday at
Brown University's Pizzitola Center. With the win, Slippery
Rock will advance to the Round of 16 at Houston, TX next
week. Bryant ends its season with a school-record 24 wins,
finishing the year 24-3 overall.
Slippery Rock (22-3) earned wins at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles with
the Bulldogs picking up a point with an 8-5 win at No. 1
doubles. At No. 1 singles, Kayla Blackburn earned a 6-3, 6-3
win over Bryant's Emma Czarnecki while Samantha Blackburn rallied
back for a three-set win at No. 3 to make it 4-1. Bryant's
Michelle Burke won the opening set, 6-1, but Blackburn was able to
bounce back with 6-2 and 6-0 wins.
The Rock were able to clinch the win as Laura Handy held off
Bryant's Chelsea Downing on Court 2. Handy was down 4-1 in
the first set to Downing but came back to win 6-4. In the second,
the pair dueled to a tie-breaker with Handy pulling out the win by
way of a 7-4 win in the tiebreaker.
SLIPPERY ROCK 5, BRYANT 1
Doubles
1. Emma Czarnecki/Chelsea Downing (B) def. Kayla Blackburn
/ Lauran Handy (SR), 8-5
2. Samantha Blackburn / Jessica Hilborn (SR) def. Valeria Couto
Cuervo/Michelle Burke (B), 8-3
3. Chelsea Gibson / Lara Rizzi (SR) def. Katharine Francazio/Lauren
Mullen (B), 8-5
Singles
1. Kayla Blackburn (SR) def. Emma Czarnecki (B), 6-3,
6-3
2. Laura Handy (SR) def. Chelsea Downing (B), 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
3. Samantha Blackburn (SR) def. Michelle Burke (B), 1-6, 6-2,
6-0
4. Katharine Francazio (B) vs. Jessica Hilborn (SR), DNF
5. Valeria Couto Cuervo (B) vs. Chelsea Gibson (SR), DNF
6. Lauren Mullen (B) vs. Lara Rizzi (SR), DNF
Records: Bryant
24-3, Slippery Rock 22-3
Order of finish: Doubles, 2-3-1; Singles, 1-3-2
Slippery Rock advances to Round of 16, May 14-17 @ Houston,
TX
