Air Force Academy

April 19, 2008

The Air Force women's tennis team completed its 2008 regular season Saturday by splitting a pair of matches at the Academy. The Falcons dropped the opening match of the day, 5-2, to Colorado State in the MWC finale. Later in the day, Air Force shut out Metro State, 7-0. With the split, the Falcons finished 6-20 overall and 0-8 in the league play.

CSU jumped out to a 1-0 lead by sweeping the three doubles matches. Hilary Tyler and Lauren Strasburger won at the No. 1 spot, 8-4, over junior Christine Abayan and sophomore Erlyn Rudico. Laura Neal and Anette Pohjalainen took the No. 2 match, 8-2, over junior Meghan Kiser and freshman Samantha Sarkis, while Sarah Seltsam and Kirsten Stople defeated senior Lauren Wilson and freshman Christen Monreal, 8-4, at No. 3.

Monreal evened the match at 1-all when CSU's Caitlin Fluegge retired after dropping the first set, 6-0, in the No. 5 singles match. It was Monreal's 20th overall singles victory of the season, the first Falcon to win 20 singles matches in a season since Abayan did it in 2006. Neal and Strasberger won the Nos. 2 and 3 matches, respectively, in straight sets to take a 3-1 lead.

Freshman Sarah Cassman made it 3-2 with a convincing, 6-4, 6-2, victory at No. 6 for her 19th win of the season. Tyler clinched the match for CSU with a tough, 6-4, 7-5, win at No. 1 over Abayan. Strasberger then beat Eromin at No. 4, 6-7, 6-3, (10-6) in the final match.

The Falcons will play Wyoming in the first round of the MWC Championships next Wednesday, April 23, at 10 a.m. (CT) in Fort Worth, Texas.

In the afternoon match, Air Force dominated Metro State at every position. The Falcons won all three doubles matches, then swept all six singles matches in straight sets, with no Air Force player losing more than two games. Cassman defeated Alexis Alvarez, 6-1, 6-1, at No. 5 singles for her 20th singles win of the season.

Colorado State 5, Air Force 2
April 19, 2008
Air Force Academy

Singles
1. Hilary Tyler (CSU) def. Christine Abayan, 6-4, 7-5
2. Laura Neal (CSU) def. Lauren Wilson, 6-2, 6-1
3. Lauren Strasberger (CSU) def. Samantha Sarkis, 6-0, 6-3
4. Anette Pohjalainen (CSU) def. Katrina Eromin, 6-7, 6-3, 10-6
5. Christen Monreal (AF) def. Caitlin Fluegge, 6-0, ret.
6. Sarah Cassman (AF) def. Greer Satherlie, 6-4, 6-2

Doubles
1. Tyler/Strasberger (CSU) def. Abayan/Erlyn Rudico, 8-4
2. Neal/Pohjalainen (CSU) def. Sarkis/Meghan Kiser, 8-2
3. Sarah Seltsam/Kirsten Stople (CSU) def. Wilson/Monreal, 8-4

Air Force 7, Metro State 0

Singles
1. Lauren Wilson (AF) def. Mitra Hirad, 6-0, 6-2
2. Samantha Sarkis (AF) def. Alecia Jenkins, 6-1, 6-1
3. Katrina Eromin (AF) def. April Hirad, 6-1, 6-1
4. Christen Monreal (AF) def. Miriam Evangelista, 6-1, 6-1
5. Sarah Cassman (AF) def. Alexis Alvarez, 6-1, 6-1
6. Erika Shortridge (AF) def. Katie Reitz, 6-1, 6-0

Doubles
1. Wilson/Monreal (AF) def. M. Hirad/Jenkins, 8-2
2. Cassman/Meghan Kiser (AF) def. Evangelista/Alvarez, 8-6
3. Eromin/Shortridge (AF) def. A. Hirad/Reitz, 8-3