MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin tennis team won their second straight match yesterday with a 7-0 win at future Ohio Valley Conference opponent SIU Edwardsville. The Skyhawks now end the regular season with a record of 10-6 with a 6-3 conference mark and this weekend will make their 18th consecutive appearance in the OVC Tournament in Paducah, Ky.

Freshmen Anna Winkelmann and Anna Marie Herbold debuted at No. 1 doubles for the first time all season and picked up an 8-3 victory over Carli Connors and Maggie Boeckman. Also teaming for the first time this season was Belisa de Brito and Alice Laing, as they knocked off Ali Wulfers and Amanda Niebur 8-7 (10-5) at No. 2. Jodie Tiley (pictured) and Johanie Van Zyl completed the sweep with an 8-4 win over Kelsey Laird and Laura Horning at No. 3.

Making her first appearance at No. 1 singles, Winkelmann improved her singles winning streak to seven with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Laird. Van Zyl took down Niebur 6-0, 6-1 at No. 4, while Herbold defeated Horning at No. 5, 6-2, 6-1. At No. 3, de Brito downed Boeckman 6-1, 6-3. Laing defeated Wulfers 7-5, 7-6 (4) at No. 6, and Tiley came from behind to defeat Connors 2-6, 6-3, 10-8 at No. 2.

UT Martin will now turn its attention to the postseason, as the team earned the No. 3 seed in the six-team OVC Tournament. The Skyhawks drew sixth-seeded Murray State, and the teams will square off at 2 p.m. at the Heflin Tennis Center on Friday, April 16. The winner of that match advances to play the No. 2 seed Austin Peay on Saturday at 2 p.m., and the championship will occur on Sunday, April 18 at 2 p.m.

The Skyhawks and Murray State met just last Thursday in Murray, with Murray State coming away with a 5-2 win. In that match, Martie Wahl and de Brito picked up a doubles win at No. 2, while Wahl and Winkelmann produced victories at No. 2 and No. 3 singles, respectively. Friday's match will also mark the third straight season that UT Martin has faced Murray State in the OVC Tournament.

As mentioned earlier, Winkelmann enters the OVC Tournament on a seven-match win streak and is 13-1 overall in singles play. Both Winkelmann and Wahl are 8-1 in OVC singles action. Van Zyl (6-3) and de Brito (5-3) also boast winning singles records in league play entering the postseason. In doubles, the senior team of de Brito and Wahl have won six straight and are 8-1 in conference play. Herbold and Winkelmann are also 8-1 in OVC doubles, while Tiley and Laing are 5-3 in conference matches. As a team, the Skyhawks are 35-19 (.648) in OVC singles play, and a remarkable 22-5 (.815) in doubles action in the league.




UT Martin vs SIUE
Apr 11, 2010 at Edwardsville, Ill.
(SIUE Tennis Courts)

UT Martin 7, SIUE 0

Singles competition
1. WINKELMANN, Anna (UTMW) def. LAIRD, Kelsey (SIUE) 6-3, 6-1
2. TILEY, Jodie (UTMW) def. CONNORS, Carli (SIUE) 2-6, 6-3, 10-8
3. de BRITO, Belisa (UTMW) def. BOECKMAN, Maggie (SIUE) 6-1, 6-3
4. VAN ZYL, Johanie (UTMW) def. NIEBUR, Amanda (SIUE) 6-0, 6-1
5. HERBOLD, Anna Marie (UTMW) def. HORNING, Laura (SIUE) 6-2, 6-1
6. LAING, Alice (UTMW) def. WULFERS, Ali (SIUE) 7-5, 7-6 (4)

Doubles competition
1. WINKELMANN, Anna/HERBOLD, Anna Marie (UTMW) def. CONNORS, Carli/BOECKMAN, Maggie (SIUE) 8-3
2. de BRITO, Belisa/LAING, Alice (UTMW) def. WULFERS, Ali/NIEBUR, Amanda (SIUE) 8-7 (10-5)
3. TILEY, Jodie/VAN ZYL, Johanie (UTMW) def. LAIRD, Kelsey/HORNING, Laura (SIUE) 8-4