April 20, 2007

MONROEVILLE, PA - The 13th-seeded Saint Joseph's women's tennis team dropped its opening-round match of the 2007 Atlantic 10 Championships, 5-0, to 4th-seeded Massachusetts Friday afternoon at the Club 4 Life. The Hawks will face 12th-seeded St. Bonaventure at 8 a.m. Saturday morning and with a victory would advance to face 8th-seeded George Washington at 3:30 p.m.

The Minutewomen earned the first point of today's match, posting wins at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles. The duo of Dasa Stanimirovic and Stephanie Gimenez beat the Hawk tandem of junior Gina DiGiacomo and senior Marisa Donelson 8-0 at No.2 doubles, while the SJU pair of senior Lauren Kuhmerker and sophomore Krysta Contino fell 8-2 at No. 3 doubles.

In individual competition, Massachusetts earned wins at No. 1, No. 2., No. 4 and No. 6 to take the match 5-0. Saint Joseph's junior Stephania Velazquez fell in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, to Michelle Spiess at No.1 singles, while freshman Jennifer Kedzierski fell 6-2, 6-2 to Masha Pozar at the No. 2 spot. DiGiacomo, playing at the No. 4 flight, fell 6-0, 6-4 to Maude Lecluyse, while Donelson lost 6-2, 6-0 to Laura Murillo at No. 6 singles.