March 7, 2004
Columbia, S.C. – The University of South Carolina women’s tennis team fought until the end on Sunday but came up short against the fourth ranked Vanderbilt Commodores, 4-3. The loss dropped USC to 6-4 overall and to 2-2 in the SEC while the Commodores improved to 12-2 overall and 4-1 in the SEC. The four losses this season have all been to top 25 opponents and two of the matches have been by scores of 4-3. The two losses that have been decided by one point were both to top 12 schools.
The Commodores jumped out early by taking two of the three double matches away from the Gamecocks. The second ranked doubles team of Kelly Schmandt and Aleke Tsoubanos defeated South Carolina’s Laura Ganzer and Danielle Wiggins 8-2. Vanderbilt would clinch the doubles point when the 10th ranked doubles team in the country of Audra Falk and Ashley Menees defeated USC’s Christyn Lucas and Magda Wojdylo 8-3. The Gamecocks avoided the doubles sweep by picking up the number three match. Miranda Gutierrez and Ayako Suzuki defeated Amanda Fish and Ashley Schellhas 8-3.
Vanderbilt entered the match with their top four players ranked but the Gamecocks would take two of the four matches. Vanderbilt would go up 3-0 after wins at four and six singles but the Gamecocks would mount a rally. Lucas would upset 65th ranked Amanda Fish at number three singles in straight sets 6-4,7-5 to cut the Vanderbilt lead to 3-1. 85th ranked Danielle Wiggins would extend her winning streak to four matches after upsetting 28th ranked Audra Falk at the number one singles position 7-6(3),6-2. The win at number one singles then gave Vandy a 3-2 edge in the competition. The match would finally be clinched for the Commodores when #54 Kelly Schmandt defeated Laura Ganzer in three sets. Schmandt won the first set 6-1, but Ganzer fought hard to force a third set by winning the second set 7-6(3). In the third set, Ganzer was up 2-1 but Schmandt won four straight games to go up 5-2 before winning 6-4. Fallon Koon would make the final score 4-3 by winning in three sets against Annie Menees. Menees took the first set 6-4 but Koon would take the next two sets 7-6(4),6-2 to win the match.
“The girls are playing really well and they are getting better each match that we play,” said USC Head Coach Arlo Elkins. “We have five combined freshman and sophomores in our lineup and one junior who is playing her first dual match action in two years so I am very pleased with our progress. If we keep this up, we are going to be a tough team to beat by the end of the season.”
The Gamecocks travel this week to face Winthrop and the College of Charleston on Wednesday and Thursday in Charleston before returning home to face No. 15 Harvard on Saturday at 1pm.
Doubles
1. #2 Schmandt/Tsoubanos (V) d. Ganzer/Wiggins (SC) 8-2
2. #10 Falk/Menees (V) d. Lucas/Wojdylo (SC) 8-3
3. Gutierrez/Suzuki (SC) d. Fish/Schellhas (V) 8-3
Order of Finish: 2,1,3
Singles:
1. #85 Danielle Wiggins (SC) d. #28 Audra Falk (V) 7-6(3),6-2
2. #54 Kelly Schmandt (V) d. Laura Ganzer (SC) 6-1,6-7(3),6-4
3. Christyn Lucas (SC) d. #65 Amanda Fish (V) 6-4,7-5
4. #87 Aleke Tsoubanos (V) d. Miranda Gutierrez (SC) 7-5,6-1
5. Fallon Koon (SC) d. Annie Menees (V) 4-6,7-6(4),6-2
6. Ashley Schellhas (V) vs. Justine Walsh (SC) 6-2,6-2
Order of Finish: 6,4,3,1,2,5
