May 10, 2003

Stats

LOS ANGELES -- The fifth-ranked USC women's tennis team (21-5) defeated No. 31 Georgia Tech (14-7), 4-0, in a hard-fought NCAA second-round match played Saturday afternoon at the USC Marks Tennis Stadium in Los Angeles.

With the victory, the Women of Troy advance to the Round of 16 and will face the winner of the Virginia Commonwealth-Kansas State match-up to be played on Sunday, May 11, at Northwestern. The final four NCAA Championship rounds will be held in Gainesville, Fla., at the Ring Tennis Complex, May 15-18.

Georgia Tech did not make it easy for the Women of Troy, taking an early lead on courts one and two. The Trojans came away with the first win as Carine Vermeulen and Melissa Esmero defeated Kacie Anson and Sekita Grant, 8-3, at No. 3. Georgia Tech's Jaime Wong and Kelly Anderson managed to hold on to their lead, defeating USC's Jewel Peterson and Tiffany Brymer, 8-4, at center court. USC's Luana Magnani and Anita Loyola eventually gained the lead at No. 2 and held off the Yellow Jackets' Mysti Morris and Lyndsay Shosho for a 8-5 win to clinch the doubles point.

With a 1-0 lead heading into singles play, the Women of Troy won the first set on three-of-six courts and took advantage of the three leads to eventually close out the match. First off the court for the second-straight day was Brymer who beat Shosho, 6-4, 6-3. USC then took a 3-0 lead when Magnani defeated Wong, 6-1, 6-3, at court two. The Trojans had gained the lead in the second set on the three remaining courts, but it was Loyola who clinched the victory for the Women of Troy with a 7-5, 7-5 decision over Morris at the No. 4 spot.

Following are complete results.

NCAA Championship Second Round
#5 USC 4, #31 Georgia Tech 0

Doubles
(1) #43 Wong/Anderson (G Tech) def. #18 Peterson/Brymer (USC) - 8-4
(2) Magnani/Loyola (USC) def. Morris/Shosho (G Tech) - 8-5
(3) Esmero/Vermeulen (USC) def. Kacie Anson/Grant (G Tech) - 8-3
USC wins doubles point.

Singles
(1) #10 Jewel Peterson (USC) vs. Catherine Gunn (G Tech) - 4-6, 5-4 suspended
(2) #21 Luana Magnani (USC) def. #43 Jaime Wong (G Tech) - 6-1, 6-3
(3) #62 Maureen Diaz (USC) vs. Kelly Anderson (G Tech) - 3-6, 4-3 suspended
(4) #119 Anita Loyola (USC) vs.#116 Mysti Morris (G Tech) - 7-5, 7-5*
(5) Tiffany Brymer (USC) def. Lyndsay Shosho (G Tech) - 6-4, 6-3
(6) Carine Vermeulen (USC) vs. Sekita Grant (G Tech) - 3-6, 6-3, 4-2 suspended

Order of finish: 5, 2, 4