Athletic Report
October 21, 1999

ENMU TENNIS PLAYERS LOSE IN FIRST ROUND AT ITA/ROLEX NATIONAL TOURNAMENT
MEMPHIS, TN — The ITA/Rolex NCAA Division II National Tournament features some of the top college tennis players from throughout the country. On Thur., Oct. 21, Layla Turner (So., Casa Grande, AZ/Casa Grande Union H.S.) and Julie Stiles (Sr., Roswell, NM/Goddard H.S.) made Eastern New Mexico University history as the first ENMU athletes to compete in the prestigious event.

Turner played a hard fought, three-set match in the first round of singles competition. She won the first set, but eventually lost to Tania Kovatchka of the University of West Florida, 0-6, 6-2, 7-5. Turner will take on Rachel Key of Presbyterian College in the loser’s bracket semifinals at 8:30 a.m. on Fri., Oct. 22.

In doubles, Stiles and Turner drew the tournament’s #2 seed, Petra Gaspar and Tagifano Soonalole of Brigham Young University-Hawaii, in the first round. Gaspar and Tagifano defeated Stiles and Turner, 6-1, 6-2.

This year’s ITA/Rolex National Tournament is being held in Memphis, Tenn. All matches are being played at the Racquet Club of Memphis or at Rhodes College. The tournament continues through Oct. 24, including the Rolex “Super Bowl”, which matches the NCAA Division II national champions in singles and doubles against champions from NCAA Division III, the NAIA and the NJCAA.