TENNIS TEAMS SWEEP ALABAMA A&M

FLORENCE – The University of North Alabama tennis teams each picked up home wins over Division I Alabama A&M with the men posting a 9-0 victory, while the women rallied to post a 5-4 win.

The victory for the UNA women not only put the team over the .500 mark for the first time this season, it also marked the second straight match that the team rallied for a 5-4 win after entering the match short-handed.

Playing with just five players, the Lions entered the match already facing an 0-2 deficit with forfeits at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles. UNA, however, quickly evened the score by sweeping the top two positions in doubles play.

In singles play, Jessica Keehn lost a tough match at the No. 5 spot to give the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead. Lenka Hola, however, quickly evened the match at 3-3 with a 6-0, 6-0 win at the No. 3 spot.

After A&M again took a 4-3 lead when Denise Cherry knocked of UNA’s Victoria Rees 6-4, 7-6 at the No. 1 position, Mallory Waites was able to keep the match alive for the Lions by rallying for a win. The senior from Birmingham overcame an early 2-6 loss to post 7-6 and 6-1 victories and improve to 5-0 on the year at the No.
2 spot.

North Alabama was able to capture the match with Teresa Franco’s straight set win at No. 4 singles. After winning the first set 6-2, Franco trailed 5-3 in the second set. She was able to fight off three set points and force a tie-breaker before claiming a 7-6 victory and secure the match for the Lions.

The UNA men were able to improve to 3-4 on the year after the 9-0 over the Bulldogs. The Lions swept all three doubles matches as well as all six matches in singles play.

After starting the year with different doubles partners, Carlos Cardenas and Clint Johnson reunited to post and 8-0 win at the No. 2 position. With the win, the duo who teamed together for most of the 2009 season improved to 2-0 on the year.

All six singles matches were straight-set victories for the Lions. Cardenas (No. 4), Johnson (No. 5) and T.J.
Drake (No. 6) each posted perfect scores of 6-0, 6-0 to get wins.