Blue Raiders Defeat UALR

Saturday, February 23

Little Rock, Ark.

5:30 PM

Middle Tennessee

UALR

2/23/2008 9:30:00 PM | Women's Tennis

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The Blue Raiders put together a team effort to defeat Arkansas-Little Rock 4-1 on Saturday. Middle Tennessee (4-8) and the Trojans (9-5) played doubles first and once the Blue Raiders clinched the point suspended play. Juniors Marlene Chemin and Elvira Yusupova defeated Anne Weijenborg and Patricia Cortes 8-3 while sophomore Stephanie Parkison and freshman Shannon Hartmann won their match 8-4 over Nathalia Garay and Marta Gomez-Jordana. "I think the girls came out ready to go. It is fantastic we were able to pull out a win. The last time we played was two years ago when we only had five players on the team and we lost," head coach Alison Ojeda said. "We are playing well and stressing to our girls hard work does pay off. I think the fact that we played a strong schedule early is helping us now." The Blue Raiders clinched the match with Chemin's win over Cortes. Once the match was decided the two teams decided to end play even though senior Claudia Szabo and junior Andrea Herrera were still playing their matches. Siljestrom defeated Bourgeon 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 in No. 1 singles while Yusupova won her match 7-5, 6-3 over Gomez-Jordana. Rounding out play for Middle Tennessee were Chemin and Parkison. Chemin clinched the match with her 6-2, 6-0 win over Cortes. Parkison lost the only point of the match as she fell 7-6, 6-1 to UALR's Weijenborg. Middle Tennessee will be back in action on Sunday, Feb. 24 at 9 p.m. when it faces another conference foe Arkansas State in Jonesboro, Ark. Singles
1. A.K. Siljestrom (MT) def. Laetitia Bourgeon (UALR) 2-6, 6-4, 6-1
2. Anne Weijenborg (UALR) def. Stephanie Parkison (MT) 7-6, 6-1
3. Elvira Yusupova (MT) def. M. Gomez-Jordana (UALR) 7-5, 6-3
4. Marlene Chemin (MT) def. Patricia Cortes (UALR) 6-2, 6-0
5. R. Van Den Houte (UALR) vs. Claudia Szabo (MT) 2-5, unfinished
6. Nathalia Garay (UALR) vs. Andrea Herrera (MT) 1-3, unfinished
Doubles
1. Marlene Chemin/Elvira Yusupova (MT) def. Anne Weijenborg/Patricia Cortes (UALR) 8-3
2. R. Van Den Houte/Laetitia Bourgeon (UALR) vs. A.K. Siljestrom/Claudia Szabo (MT) 5-4, unfinished
3. Stephanie Parkison/Shannon Hartmann (MT) def. Nathalia Garay/M. Gomez-Jordana (UALR) 8-4
Match Notes:
Middle Tennessee 4-8
Arkansas-Little Rock 9-5
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (1,2,3,4)