LOUISVILLE, Ky. ? Playing their highest ranked opponent to date, the University of South Alabama women’s tennis team battled hard but dropped a 4-3 decision to No. 40 Louisville Sunday morning at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center. 

The host Cardinals improve to 11-5 on the spring with the win, while USA drops to 13-2 with the loss.  The Jags will now return home to take on Marshall on Thursday (March 27) at 1 p.m. at the Bruce David Lubel Memorial Tennis Courts.

In doubles action, South Alabama came out and clinched the early match lead by taking two of the three doubles matches.  Adrianna Solarova and Sylvanie Spangenberg continued their stellar play this spring with an 8-4 victory over UL’s tandem of Natalia Baez/Bianca Gorba at No. 1.  Jelena Krivacevic and Erica Krisan then clinched the doubles point when the Jag duo outlasted Robyn White and Lauren Imre (Louisville) with an 8-6 win at the No. 3 position.

The match marked the 14^th time out of USA’s 15 matches this spring that the Jags have begun the match by capturing the doubles point.

Louisville came out in the singles portion of the match and took control, picking up four of the six matches to earn the victory.  Jo-Ann Van Aerde clinched match point for the Cardinals with a three-set (7-6, 5-7, 6-1) marathon win at No. 6 over USA’s Krivacevic.  The loss for Krivacevic was her first singles defeat this spring.

South Alabama’s Solarova(6-2, 6-3) and Michaela Babicova (6-3, 6-2) picked up the lone two singles victories for USA on Sunday with straight set victories at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.

No. 40 Louisville 4, No. 58 University of South Alabama 3

03/23/08 at Louisville, Ky.

 Singles competition

1. Adrianna Solarova (USAW) def. Lindsey Jones (UL) 6-2, 6-3

2. No. 123 Michaela Babicova (USAW) def. Lauren Imre (UL) 6-3, 6-2

3. Bianca Gorba (UL) def. Erica Krisan (USAW) 6-7, 6-3, 6-4

4. Natalia Baez (UL) def. Katie Welch (USAW) 6-2, 6-1

5. Robyn White (UL) def. Sylvanie Spangenberg (USAW) 6-0, 6-4

6. Jo-Ann Van Aerde (UL) def. Jelena Krivacevic (USAW) 7-6, 5-7, 6-1

 Doubles competition

1. Adrianna Solarova/Sylvanie Spangenberg (USAW) def. Natalia Baez/Bianca Gorba (UL) 8-4

2. Lindsey Jones/Jo-Ann Van Aerde (UL) def. Michaela Babicova/Katie Welch (USAW) 8-4

3. Erica Krisan/Jelena Krivacevic (USAW) def. Robyn White/Lauren Imre (UL) 8-6

Match Notes:

University of South Alabama 13-2; National ranking No. 58