April 23, 2005

INDIANAPOLIS - A weekend that began filled with potential ended early on Saturday (April 23) at the Horizon League Championships, as the No. 4 CSU women's tennis team dropped a 4-0 match to No. 5 Wright State before the No. 6 men's team fell to No. 3 UIC in a 4-0 bout.

Inclement weather in the central Indiana area forced the tournament indoors and, due to limited court availability, the cancellation of the consolation bracket entirely, making the competition a single-elimination tournament.

In the morning match, the women's team uncharacteristically dropped the doubles point despite an 8-5 win by No. 1 duo Sarah Galon and Morgan Ungerott. The win gave the pair an impressive 7-1 mark against Horizon League foes this season, as well as 10 wins in their last 12 matches.

CSU then put up strong battles in the singles competition, but was unable to come away with a victory as the Raiders claimed the first four points to decide the match before the final three finished play.

Galon put up a strong showing at No. 1, battling Jessica Lee to a tiebreaker in the second set before falling 11-9, while Jenn Myers took Tiffani Foster to three sets for a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 decision.

The men's squad earned a similar fate, as the Vikings took the loss in the doubles competition before falling in three straight singles matches. Jay Tee won the first game of the No. 2 singles match by a 7-5 score and was tied at 3-3 in the second before the match was called after UIC claimed the deciding points.

"The weekend started out great, with Sarah, Eric [Winn] and Jay being honored for their performances this season," head coach Brian Etzkin said, "but we definitely are disappointed to finish this way.

"It's a humbling end to a successful season. We are building a program, and we know it can't happen all at once. We pleased with the improvements we have made, but we are still not satisfied. Everyone is excited about next season already."

Vikings took home three awards at the tournament banquet on Friday (April 22), with Galon earning the league women's player of the year award and Winn and Tee being named to the men's all-league second team.

Men's Results
Singles
1. Ivan Kovalev (UIC) def. Eric Winn (CSU) 6-3, 6-1
2. Jay Tee (CSU) led Karol Zarucki (UIC) 7-5, 3-3*
3. Paul Glendenning (UIC) def. Dan Singer (CSU) 6-1, 6-2
4. Andy Lockhart (UIC) def. Paul Haley (CSU) 6-2, 6-0
5. Jordan Reynolds (CSU) led Eric Fey (UIC) 1-0*
6. Brett Aronson (CSU) led Sean Kreymborg (UIC) 1-0*

Doubles
1. Kovalev/Lochhart (UIC) def. Winn/Tee (CSU) 8-4
2. Zarucki/Kreymborg (UIC) led Singer/Reynolds (CSU) 5-4*
3. Glendenning/Fey (UIC) def. Haley/Aaronson (CSU) 8-3

Women's Results
Singles
1. Jessica Lee (WSU) def. Sarah Galon (CSU) 6-4, 7-6 (9)
2. Tiffani Foster (WSU) def. Jenn Myers (CSU) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
3. Laura Culbertson (WSU) led Morgan Ungerott (CSU) 6-2, 4-6, 4-1*
4. Audra Beckett (WSU) def. Lindsay Sellers (CSU) 6-0, 6-2
5. Christa Ames (WSU) led Rebekah Bicksler (CSU) 5-3*
6. Christine Vogelgesang (CSU) led Jennifer Bagby (WSU) 1-0*

Doubles
1. Galon/Ungerott (CSU) def. Lee/Foster (WSU) 8-5
2. Culbertson/Beckett (WSU) def. Myers/Vogelgesang (CSU) 8-6
3. Ames/Bagby (WSU) def. Sellers/Capozziello (CSU) 9-8 (4)

* suspended due to team match being decided