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April 12, 2008

Final Stats

Carbondale, Ill. - The University of Northern Iowa women's tennis team pushed its Missouri Valley Conference record to 3-2, with a 5-2 victory over Southern Illinois today. The Panthers are now 11-7 overall and a perfect 6-0 on Saturdays this season. Southern Illinois drops to 2-2 in MVC play and 9-9 overall.

"This was a great win for us on the road, and we fought for every point all day long," head coach Sachin Kirtane said. "This was a well deserved victory for us, and I am extremely proud of my team."

The Panthers started the day strong winning all three doubles matches and the doubles point. The duo of sophomore Sampada Kanade and freshman Diana Mendez teamed up for an 8-4 victory in No. 1 doubles over Sabine Tsala Mvilongo and Jessica Flannery, and the Panther tandem of senior Meghana Paritala and junior Taynara Moraes cruised in No. 2 doubles over Martina Vianna Cé and Michela Cruise, 8-2. Paritala has now been apart of 74 career doubles victories throughout her career, and with today's victory, she moves into fourth on the Panthers' all-time doubles wins list.

"This was probably the best we have played all season in the doubles matches, and it gave us the momentum going into singles play," Kirtane said.

In singles play, the Panthers won four of the six matches. Freshman Laia Gonzalez-Garrido and Moraes won pivotal three-set matches to push the Panthers' to the winners circle. Gonzalez-Garrido held off Cruise, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 in No. 3 singles, and Moraes came back to beat Flannery, 1-6, 7-6, 6-4.

Senior Carolina Hannes picked up her 83rd career victory as a Panther and moves into a four-way tie for second on the Panthers' all-time career wins list. Hannes rolled past Andrea Courtney, 6-2, 6-0 in No. 6 singles to pick up her team leading 19th victory of the season. Paritala was unable to pick up her 84th career victory in No. 2 singles falling to Cé, 7-5, 6-0.

Both Hannes and Paritala have a shot at tying the Panthers' all-time leader Nancy Land in tomorrow's match at Evansville at 10 a.m.    

Northern Iowa 5, Southern Illinois 2

Singles Results:
No. 1  Sabine Tsala Mvilongo (SIU) def. Sampada Kanade (UNI) 6-4, 6-4
No. 2  Martina Vianna Cé (SIU) def. Meghana Paritala (UNI) 7-5, 6-0
No. 3  Laia Gonzalez-Garrido (UNI) def. Michela Cruise (SIU) 7-5, 2-6, 6-1
No. 4  Taynara Moraes (UNI) def. Jessica Flannery (SIU) 1-6, 7-6, 6-4
No. 5  Diana Mendez (UNI) def. Amanda Taillefer (SIU) 6-3, 6-1
No. 6  Carolina Hannes (UNI) def. Andrea Courtney (SIU) 6-2, 6-0

Doubles Results:
No. 1  Kanade/Mendez (UNI) def. Tsala/Flannery (SIU) 8-4
No. 2  Paritala/Moraes (UNI) def. Cé/Cruise (SIU) 8-2
No. 3  Hannes/Gonzalez-Garrido (UNI) def. Taillefer/Courtney (SIU) 8-7 (11-9)