April 18, 2002

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - American University's women's tennis team finished its first spring season as a member of the Patriot League with an unblemished record in PL play (5-0). In doing so, the Eagles captured the No. 1 seed and the right to host the Patriot League Women's Tennis Championship, taking place at AU's Reeves Courts April 20-21.

AU, which will face #4 seed Lehigh at 11 a.m. Saturday, enters the League tournament with a 10-5 overall record and are winners of three of its last four contests. The Eagles tout five individual champions from the PL Flighted Championship, held in the fall, including first singles ace junior Olga Mikhailova (Moscow, Russia). Mikhailova also teamed up with senior Lourdes Riusech (Miami, Fla.) to claim gold in first doubles.

Other PL singles winners from the fall are sophomore Kristina Georgieva (Sofia, Bulgaria), who won second singles over Ali Rohr (Lawrenceville, Ga.) of Army, and fourth singles champion senior Lauren Martin (Wellington, New Zealand). The duo teamed up in second doubles to upend Army's top-seeded squad, 8-3, to bring home the crown.

Army, the defending champions, are seeded second with a 16-10 overall record and a 4-1 mark in League play. The Black Knights will square-off against third-seeded Colgate at 2 p.m. Saturday. The Academy returns junior All-League singles player Annie Collier (Baton Rouge, La.). Collier, who lost to Mikhailova in the first singles Championship match, was also a doubles all-star in 2001 along with Cheryl Hamilton, who has since graduated.

In the Flighted Championship, senior Melissa Sentelle (Brevard, N.C.) captured the third singles title, while freshman Marissa Limsiaco (The Woodlands, Texas) brought home two top finishes in fifth singles and third doubles with fellow rookie Maelynn Bernosky (Fort Gratiot, Mich.). Limsiaco and Bernosky have collected a Patriot League-record 23 doubles wins during the spring season, breaking the mark of 17 held by Julia Diaz and Kristina Lutter of Bucknell set during the 1994 campaign.

Colgate (11-8, 3-2 PL) earned the third seed, and will face #2 Army in the opening round of the four-team tournament, after posting regular-season wins over Lehigh, Bucknell and Lafayette. The Raiders have an All-League performer back in the fold in junior Lauren Erikson (Hollis, N.H.), who earned the honor as a singles player. Sophomore Jessica Fede (North Providence, R.I.) was the lone Raider to win a title at the fall championship, capturing the sixth singles crown.

Lehigh is the fourth seed after registering a 12-7 overall record and a 2-3 mark in Patriot League contests. The Mountain Hawks take on the host Eagles in the first round Saturday. One of Lehigh's top hitters is 2001 All-League singles honoree sophomore Rachel Samson (Milwaukee, Wis.), who won first singles and second doubles at the 2000 Flighted Championship. LU also has junior Erica Feinman (Dix Hills, N.Y.) back after an all-star season in doubles play.

The winners of the semifinal matches advance to the Championship battle Sunday, April 21 at 11 a.m.