No. 35 SMU Women's Tennis Rolls Furman, 5-2

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From SMUMustangs.com:

No. 35 SMU Women's Tennis Rolls Furman, 5-2
Mustangs Improve to 10-3

March 11, 2011

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (SMU) – The No. 35 SMU Women’s Tennis Team upped its record to 10-3 this spring with a solid 5-2 win over Furman on Friday morning in a match played at the Frank And Vicki Fertitta Tennis Complex on the campus of UNLV.

SMU came out strong in the match and claimed the doubles point with wins at the top two spots.

The No. 73 duo of juniors Marta Lesniak and Aleksandra Malyarchikova cruised to an 8-1 win at the top line over Margaret Boyette and Amanda Murray, while sophomore Edyta Ciepluchaand junior Heather Steinbauer also won by an 8-1 tally at No. 2 over Lauren Kline and Michele Stanford.

At No. 3, sophomore Shahzoda Hatamova and freshman Kris Roberts fell to Furman’s Jennifer Betts and Monica Arguello, 8-5.

As has been the case most of the season, Malyarchikova was first off the courts in singles to push the SMU lead to 2-0. The native of Belarus downed Stanford in quick fashion, 6-0, 6-1.

Lesniak, the nation’s No. 8 singles player, made the lead 3-0 in favor of the Mustangs when finished just moments later. She took out Arguello 6-2, 6-2 at the top singles line.

Cieplucha clinched the match for her team at the No. 2 line when she dispatched of Boyette 6-1, 6-4.

The other SMU victory came at No. 4 where Hatamova defeated Murray in straight sets by a score of 6-2, 6-2.

In the other singles action for the Mustangs, Roberts fell at No. 6 to Maurice 6-4, 6-2, while Steinbauer was downed at No. 3 by Kline 6-4, 6-3.

”I was pleased that we rebounded well after a poor showing against Tulsa,” said head coach Lauren Longbotham Meisner. “We really set the tone in doubles and came out focused and that attitude carried into singles. Today was a good win and we just have to keep this same mentality the rest of the weekend. We have two tough matches in hot weather ahead of us and this was a good way to begin things.”

SMU returns to action Saturday against the host, No. 43 UNLV. First serve is set for Noon CT / 10:00 a.m. PT.

No. 35 SMU 5, Furman 2
SINGLES
1. #8 Marta Lesniak (SMU) def. Monica Arguello (FUR) 6-2, 6-2
2. Edyta Cieplucha (SMU) def. Margaret Boyette (FUR) 6-1, 6-4
3. Lauren Kline (FUR) def. Heather Steinbauer (SMU) 6-3, 6-3
4. Shahzoda Hatamova (SMU) def. Amanda Murray (FUR) 6-2, 6-2
5. Aleks Malyarchikova (SMU) def. Michele Stanford (FUR) 6-1, 6-0
6. Olivia Maurice (FUR) def. Kris Roberts (SMU) 6-4, 6-2
Order of finish: 5,1,6,2*,4,3

DOUBLES
1. #73 Marta Lesniak/Aleks Malyarchikova (SMU) def. Margaret Boyette/Amanda Murray (FUR) 8-1
2. Heather Steinbauer/Edyta Cieplucha (SMU) def. Lauren Kline/Michele Stanford (FUR) 8-1
3. Jennifer Betts/Monica Arguello (FUR) def. Shahzoda Hatamova/Kris Roberts (SMU) 8-5
Order of finish: 1,2*,3