Saturday, March 29, 2002

FIU closes home schedule with 5-2 win over UCF

o. 22-ranked FIU (16-4) got back on the winning track Saturday afternoon, beating UCF, 5-2, in the final home match of the season at University Park.

The Golden Panthers took the doubles point by winning two of three matches. FIU won at No. 1 when the nation's No. 27-ranked Anneliese Rose and Cristina Campana beat Julie Pecastaing and Anna Westin, 8-1.

UCF (7-8) evened the match when Marieke Gunawan and Amira Samara defeated Maria Montoya and Marina Raic at No. 2, 8-4. But FIU captured the point at No. 3 where Mei Ly and Dominique Rosenberg got by the Knights' Kristina Lohmos and Emmanuelle Sauze, 8-6.

The Golden Panthers took the top four singles matches to clinch the victory. At No. 1, Rose dominated Sauze, 6-1, 6-1. UCF battled before falling at No. 2 where Ly beat Gunawan, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5. Montoya defeated Westin at No. 3, 7-6, 6-2 and Campana outlasted Pecastaing, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, at No. 3.

UCF took its lone points of the day at No. 5-6 where Lohmos beat Nazly Elsawaf, and Samara defeated Rosenberg by identical 6-3, 6-2 scores.

The Golden Panthers close out their regular season on April 13 in Tampa against the University of South Florida.

Final Score: Florida International 5 UCF 2

SINGLES:
No. 1 Anneliese Rose (FIU) def. Emmanuelle Sauze (UCF) 6-1, 6-1
No. 2 Mei Ly (FIU) def. Marieke Gunawan (UCF) 6-3, 2-6, 7-5
No. 3 Maria Montoya (FIU) def. Anna Westin (UCF) 7-6, 6-2
No. 4 Cristina Campana (FIU) def. Julie Pecastaing (UCF) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
No. 5 Kristina Lohmas (UCF) def. Nazly Elsawaf (FIU) 6-3, 6-2
No. 6 Amira Samara (UCF) def. Dominique Rosenberg (FIU) 6-3, 6-2

DOUBLES:
No. 1 Campana/Rose (FIU) def. Pecastaing/Westin (UCF) 8-1
No. 2 Gunawan/Samara (UCF) def. Montoya/Raic (FIU) 8-4
No. 3 Rosenberg/Ly (FIU) def. Lohmas/Sauze (UCF) 8-6