Air Force Academy

Feb. 18, 2007

The Air Force women's tennis team wrapped up its three-match trip to West Point, N.Y. by splitting a pair of matches on Sunday. The Falcons lost to Connecticut, 4-3, but rebounded to defeat Fairleigh Dickinson, 5-2. The Falcons are now 5-4 this season.

Against UConn, the Falcons dropped the doubles point with losses at the top two spots. Senior Kelly Morgan and freshman Jennifer Walters combined to win the No. 3 match, 8-2, over Liz Dibbs and Christine Burek.

Air Force captured three singles matches, with sophomore Christine Abayan winning the No. 1 match, 6-3, 6-4, over Burek. Junior Lauren Wilson won at No. 3, 6-3, 6-0, over Jennifer Porter and Morgan downed Breanna Cheung at the No. 4 position, 6-4, 6-0.

Connecticut won at the Nos. 2 and 5 spots, leaving the team match up to the No. 6 match. UConn's Ashley Petruzzi clinched the match for the Huskies with an exciting 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 victory over freshman Erlyn Rudico. IN the team's afternoon match, Air Force captured the doubles point with victories at the top two positions, including a thrilling, 8-7 win by Wilson and Erika Shortridge at the No. 1 spot.

In singles play, the Falcons won four of the six matches, all in straight sets. Wilson defeated Jessica DeCarlo, 6-1, 6-1, at No. 2, while Walters beat Ksenia Chernyshova, 6-4, 6-3 at No. 3. Morgan and Rudico each won, 6-0, 6-0 at No. 5 and 6, respectively.

The Falcons return to action next Saturday, Feb. 24 with a match against Middle Tennessee State in Lubbock, Texas beginning at 10 a.m.

Connecticut 4, Air Force 3

SINGLES
1. Christine Abayan (AFA) def. Christine Burek, 6-3, 6-4
2. Kelley LoRusso (UC) def. Jennifer Walters, 6-2, 6-1
3. Lauren Wilson (AFA) def. Jessica Porter, 6-3, 6-0
4. Kelly Morgan (AFA) def. Breann Cheung, 6-4, 6-0
5. Ali Campitiello (UC) def. Meghan Kiser, 7-6, 6-3
6. Ashley Petruzzi (UC) def. Erlyn Rudico, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4

Air Force 5, Fairleigh Dickinson 2

SINGLES
1. Julija Korsunova (FDU) def. Christine Abayan, 6-2, 6-1
2. Lauren Wilson (AFA) def. Jessica DeCarlos, 6-1, 6-1
3. Jennifer Walters (AFA) def. Ksenia Chernyshova, 6-4, 6-3
4. Clara Smith (FDU) def. Meghan Kiser, 6-2, 7-5
5. Kelly Morgan (AFA) def. Tricia Small, 6-0, 6-0
6. Erlyn Rudico (AFA) def. Joann Encarnacion, 6-0, 6-0

DOUBLES
1. Erika Shortridge/Wilson (AFA) def. Korsunova/Smith, 8-7 (7-4)
2. Abayan/Kiser (AFA) def. Chernyshova/DeCarlos, 8-1
3. Small/Encarnacion (FDU) def. Morgan/Walters, 8-0