Athletic Report
October 21, 2001

TURNER RALLIES TO WIN 3RD PLACE MATCH AT ITA/ROLEX NATIONAL TOURNAMENT
PLANO, TX — Eastern New Mexico University’s top tennis player, Layla Turner (Sr., Casa Grande, AZ/Casa Grande Union H.S.) rallied after losing the first set to defeat Victoria Domina of Ouachita Baptist University (Ark.) in a third-set tie-breaker and take 3rd place at the ITA/Rolex NCAA Division II National Tournament, Oct. 20 in Plano, Texas.

Turner, who did not win a game in the opening set, dominated the second set, then slipped past Domina in an 11-9 tie-breaker in the final set. Turner won 0-6, 6-1, 7-6 (11-9) to earn her highest finish in three consecutive trips to the ITA/Rolex National Tournament. She finished 6th in 1999 and 4th in 2000 in singles, and was 5th in doubles in 1999.

Turner’s comeback dropped Domina into 4th place among this year’s field of eight NCAA Division II singles players. Zsofia Golopencza of Armstrong Atlantic State University (Ga.), the #1 seed, who defeated Turner in the semifinals, routed #2 seed Monika Mastalirova of Lynn University, 6-0, 6-0, in the championship match.

In Saturday’s 5th place match, Ana Skafar of Lees-Mcrae College (N.C.) defeated teammate Deniz Emre of Lees-McRae, 6-3, 6-3. In the match for 7th place, Michaela Kratochvilova of Armstrong Atlantic defeated Erin Bartsch of Bloomsburg University (Pa.), 6-1, 6-1.

The ITA/Rolex National Small College Tennis Championships feature some of the top players in NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, the NAIA and the NJCAA. Each division has singles and doubles brackets for men and women.

The tournament continues tomorrow (Oct. 21) with 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.

The NCAA Division II portion of the National Tournament featured six champions from ITA/Rolex regional tournaments this fall, plus two alternates from regions with champions who were not available to compete.

Turner won the ITA/Rolex Central Regional title for the third consecutive year, defeating Lacy Johnson of Abilene Christian University in the finals, 7-5, 6-2, Oct. 7 in Greeley, Colorado.