Zias Lose to Tarleton State, 5-4, Defeat St. Mary’s, 9-0, to Split Double-Header

STEPHENVILLE, TX – The Eastern New Mexico University women’s tennis team lost to Tarleton State University, 5-4, and defeated St. Mary’s University (Texas), 9-0, in a double-header at the TSU Tennis Courts on Friday, Mar. 7. ENMU ended the day with a 4-1 overall record for the season.

Against Tarleton State, the Zias lost two of three doubles matches. The TexAnns won #1 doubles, with the team of Alicia Cummings and Rosa Diaz-Guzman defeating Lisa Weinman (Sr., Albuquerque, NM/West Mesa HS) and Bethanie Nix (Jr., Spring, TX/Newman Smith HS), 8-4. Eastern’s #2 doubles team of Rhiannon Torrez (Fr., Cedar Park, TX/Cedar Park HS) and Janelle Sanchez (So., Albuquerque, NM/Cibola HS) downed Lauren Barzilla and Corey Seward. TSU claimed the #3 doubles match, as Crystal Blazek and Kristina Sproat defeated Sarah Salazar (Sr., Belen, NM/Saint Pius X HS) and Erica Kelly (Fr., Stockton, CA/Tokay HS), 8-3.

The Zias and TexAnns split the six singles matches, with ENMU winning at #2, #3 and #4 singles. Nix won a highly-competitive match at #2 singles, as she rallied past Diaz-Guzman, 1-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-3). ENMU came very close to winning the overall match, but Seward slipped by Salazar, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, at #5 singles, and Blazek overcame an early lead by Kelly to take a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 win at #6 singles. The top singles matches was won by Cummings, who achieved a 6-4, 6-2 win over Weinman.

In the win over St. Mary’s the Zias easily swept the doubles competition. Weinman and Nix defeated Sonya Ortiz and Monica Gonzalez, 8-3, at #1 doubles, while Torrez and Sanchez routed Thuy Phan and Alexis Carmona, 8-1, at #2 doubles. Salazar and Kelly won #3 doubles 8-4 over Janet Sholles and Caroline Montgomery.

Eastern also swept the singles matches, with the closest match occurring at #5 singles, where Salazar battled back after losing the first set to Sholles, 6-2. Salazar won the second set, 6-0, and clinched the match with a 10-2 win in a super tie-breaker in place of a third set. All of the other matches lasted just two sets, although Weinman needed a first-set tie-breaker to defeat Ortiz, 7-6 (7-5), 6-0.

The Zias return to action on Saturday, Mar. 29, when they will take on Midwestern State University and St. Mary’s University in Abilene, Texas. The MSU match is scheduled to start at 8 a.m. (MST), with the St. Mary’s match set to start at 1 p.m. (MST).

College Women’s Tennis
March 7, 2003 • Stephenville, Texas

Tarleton State University 5
(#23) - Eastern New Mexico University 4

Singles
#1 - Alicia Cummings (TSU) defeated Lisa Weinman (ENMU), 6-4, 6-2
#2 - Bethanie Nix (ENMU) defeated Rosa Diaz-Guzman (TSU), 1-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-3)
#3 - Rhiannon Torrez (ENMU) defeated Kristina Sproat (TSU), 6-0, 6-0
#4 - Janelle Sanchez (ENMU) defeated Lauren Barzilla (TSU), 6-3, 6-3
#5 - Corey Seward (TSU) defeated Sarah Salazar (ENMU), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
#6 - Crystal Blazek (TSU) defeated Erica Kelly (ENMU), 4-6, 6-3, 6-3

Doubles
#1 - Cummings and Diaz-Guzman (TSU) defeated Weinman and Nix (ENMU), 8-4
#2 - Torrez and Sanchez (ENMU) defeated Parzilla and Seward (TSU), 8-4
#3 - Blazek and Sproat (TSU) defeated Salazar and Kelly (ENMU), 8-3

March 7, 2003 • Stephenville, Texas

(#23) - Eastern New Mexico University 9
St. Mary’s University (Texas) 0

Singles
#1 - Lisa Weinman (ENMU) defeated Sonya Ortiz (SMU), 7-6 (7-5), 6-0
#2 - Bethanie Nix (ENMU) defeated Monica Gonzales (SMU), 6-1, 6-1
#3 - Rhiannon Torrez (ENMU) defeated Thuy Phan (SMU), 6-1, 6-1
#4 - Janelle Sanchez (ENMU) defeated Alexis Carmona (SMU), 6-3, 6-0
#5 - Sarah Salazar (ENMU) defeated Janet Sholles (SMU), 2-6, 6-0, 10-2*
#6 - Erica Kelly (ENMU) defeated Caroline Montgomery (SMU), 6-1, 6-0

Doubles
#1 - Weinman and Nix (ENMU) defeated Ortiz and Gonzales (SMU) , 8-3
#2 - Torrez and Sanchez (ENMU) defeated Phan and Carmona (SMU), 8-1
#3 - Salazar and Kelly (ENMU) defeated Sholles and Montgomery (SMU), 8-4

* Tie-breaker played instead of third set

ENMU is now 4-1 overall and 1-1 LSC South. The TSU match was an LSC match. The St. Mary's match was non-conference.