Friday, March 31, 2006

NO. 13 FRANCIS MARION DOWNS NO. 31 PRESBYTERIAN 6-3

CLINTON, S.C. — The No. 13-ranked Francis Marion University women’s tennis team won a pair of doubles matches and four singles matches to defeat No. 31 Presbyterian College 6-3 in women’s tennis action Friday afternoon at the Templeton Courts. The Patriots improve to 12-4 on the season, while Presbyterian falls to 10-3 on the year.

The Patriots took a 2-1 lead after doubles as Jenny Ludwig (Cologne, Germany) and Kamini Murugaboopathy (Chennai, India), ranked No. 19 nationally, defeated PC’s duo of Catherine Bankhead (Amarillo, TX) and Abby Diminich (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) at the No. 1 flight. The Lady Blue Hose picked up a win at No. 3 doubles as Lauren Brown (Gaffney, S.C.) and Kari Fuller (Suwanee, Ga.) defeated FMU’s duo of Sara Moyer (Florence, S.C.) and Elizabeth Lee (Florence, S.C.) 8-6.

After PC’s Fuller tied the match at 2-2 with a 6-0, 6-1 defeat of FMU’s Sara Hickman (Florence, S.C.), FMU’s Murugaboopathy, ranked No. 50 nationally, defeated PC’s Diminich 6-3, 6-0 at No. 3 singles to give the Patriots back the lead at 3-2. Francis Marion would not relinquish the lead the rest of the match.

The Patriots clinched the match at No. 6 singles as S. Moyer defeated Kathryn Kleckley (Lexington, S.C.) 6-3, 6-2. The Lady Blue Hose picked up their third point of the match at No. 4 singles as Lisa Moyer (Florence, S.C.) came back from a first set deficit to defeat Lee 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.