Results

ORLANDO, Fla. – The University of South Alabama women's tennis team won the doubles point and the first three singles matches in a 4-3 victory over Central Florida Friday afternoon at the USTA National Campus.

The Jaguars take their fourth match in a row to move to 12-4 on the year, while the Knights lose their third straight to drop to 10-4.

"That was a very solid win today," USA head coach Jaco Keyser said. "It was nice to see some of the day-to-day mental grinding we have done all season long show up in the form of some good, quality play today."

After taking the doubles point, the Jags won the first three singles matches in straight sets. Sophomore Alexandria Stiteler (Bradenton, Fla.) lost just two games in her 6-1, 6-1 victory over Natalia Serrano at No. 1, and senior Laura Valkova (Piestany, Slovakia) dropped Monica Matias 6-3, 6-4 on court 2 for a 3-0 advantage.

At No. 6, freshman Leslie Soto Bustamante (Santiago, Chile) downed Nicole Jimenez 7-5, 6-3 to clinch the win.

The Knights won three three-set matches at Nos. 3, 4 and 5 to pick up their three points. Elizabeth Bagerbaseh rallied from a first-set loss at No. 5 to defeat sophomore Alina Zolotareva (Barnaul, Russia) 1-6, 7-5, 6-1, and Courtney Cesarini also came back from an early deficit on court 4 in a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory over sophomore Patricia Martins (Lisbon, Portugal).

Emilia Granstrom used a third-set supertiebreaker in her win over senior Laura Matuskova (Bratislava, Slovakia) at No. 3, 7-5, 5-7, (10-7).

In doubles, the teams split the first two matches, with Martins and Valkova winning 6-3 at No. 2 and Cesarini and Serrano topping Zolotareva and Stiteler 6-4 on court 1, but Matuskova and Bustamante claimed the point with a 6-4 victory at No. 3.

South Alabama heads to Jacksonville Sunday for a match with North Florida at 11 a.m. CST.

"We have another tough task on Sunday and another great opportunity to get better," Keyser said.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Baseline Club, the tennis-specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund.  All donations to the Baseline Club go directly to support the South Alabama men's and women's tennis programs.  For more information on how you can join visit:  http://jaguarathleticfund.com/sports/2013/3/13/Baseline%20Club.aspx?id=24

—USA—