Athletic Report
September 25, 2000

TURNER WINS #1 SINGLES AT ACU TOURNAMENT
Nix and Pennington Triumph at #2 Doubles
ABILENE, TX — Layla Turner (Jr., Casa Grande, AZ/Casa Grande Union H.S.), Eastern New Mexico University’s top singles player, won the #1 singles flight, and Bethanie Nix (Fr., Birmingham, AL/Newman Smith H.S.) and Sarah Pennington (Sr., Sweetwater, TX/Sweetwater H.S.) combined to win #2 doubles, as the Zias started their 2000-01 season at the Abilene Christian University Invitational, Sept. 22-23. The tournament featured four singles flights and three doubles flights.

Turner defeated three opponents on her way to the #1 singles title. She downed Henderson of Cameron University in the first round, 6-0, 6-0, then defeated Lacy Johnson of ACU in the semifinals, 6-2, 7-5. In the championship match, Turner downed Leah Ticer of ACU, 6-2, 4-6, 10-7. A tie-breaker was used for the third set.

In #2 doubles, Nix and Pennington defeated Corey Seward and Melissa Haley of Tarleton State in the first round, 8-1. They defeated Butler and Matthews in the semifinals, 8-2, before edging Ayala and Henderson of Cameron, 8-6, in the title match. Sarah Salazar (So., Belen, NM/St. Pius X H.S.) and Janelle Sanchez (Fr., Albuquerque, NM/Cibola H.S.) won their first match at #2 doubles, 8-2, over McKay and Rine of McMurry, but withdrew during the semifinals due to injury.

Nix won her first round match at #1 singles, defeating Gray in a close contest, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3). Andi Wildner of ACU slipped past Nix in the semifinals, winning 2-6, 6-4, 10-4.

Lisa Weinman (So., Albuquerque, NM/West Mesa H.S.) also competed at #1 singles. She won her first round match over Chandler of Hardin-Simmons, 6-7 (5-7), 6-03, 7-6 (10-6), but lost in the second round to Ticer, 6-4, 6-0.

Pennington represented the Zias at #2 singles. She quickly defeated McKay of McMurry, 6-0, 6-0, in the opening round. She defeated Mostella of Cameron, 6-1, 6-2, in the second round, before falling to Lawson of ACU in the semifinals, 6-3, 7-6.

Salazar and Sanchez both competed at #3 singles. Salazar downed Peterson of Howard Payne, 6-0, 6-1, then moved past Atcherberry of Hardin-Simmons, 6-0, 6-2. In the semifinals, Salazar lost to Arringdale of Cameron, 7-6, 6-4. Sanchez defeated Hullett of Tarleton State in the first round, 6-2, 6-1. She also defeated Rine of McMurry, 6-0, 6-0, but had to default due to injury in the semifinals.

Lindsey Brown (Fr., Whiteface, TX/Whiteface H.S.) opened #4 singles with a win over Tollett of McMurry, 6-0, 6-0. She lost a three-set match to Satery of Cameron, 6-7 (3-10), 6-3, 7-6 (10-3) in the semifinals.

Turner and Weinman won their first round match at #1 doubles, 8-1, over Israel and Lawson of Abilene Christian. Turner and Weinman then fell to ACU’s team of Johnson and Kasey Hawkins in the semifinals, 9-7.

At #3 doubles, Brown and Betsy Cata defeated Stephen and Mazur of McMurry, 8-6. In the semifinals, Brown and Cata were defeated by Mostela and Smith of Cameron, 8-2.

The Zias continue their fall schedule with the ITA/Rolex NCAA Division II Midwest Regional, Sept. 28-30, in Abilene, Texas. The event will be hosted by Abilene Christian on the ACU campus and at Rose Park Tennis Center.

Last year, Turner won the ITA/Rolex Regional title in singles and also claimed first place in doubles with partner Julie Stiles (Sr. in 1999-00, Roswell, NM/Goddard H.S.). Turner and Stiles advanced to the 1999 ITA/Rolex NCAA Division II National Tournament in Memphis, Tenn., where they took 5th place in doubles and Turner earned 6th place in singles.