OU Women's Tennis Defeated By No. 29 Texas A&M

March 20, 2003

NORMAN, Okla. - The 32nd-ranked Oklahoma women's tennis team lost their first conference match of the season, 5-2, against No. 29 Texas A&M Thursday at the Texas A&M Tennis Center in College Station, Texas. The Sooners fall to 2-1 in Big 12 Conference action and 11-2 overall while the Aggies improved to 4-1 in conference and 9-6 overall.

Following an A&M victory at No. 2 doubles, OU's Jessica Braver (Edmond, Okla.) and Melissa Mendieta (San Jose, Costa Rica) posted an 8-3 victory at No. 3 over A&M's Seva Iwinski and Nicki Mechem knotting the doubles score at 1-1. Jessica Roland and Roberta Spencer clinched the doubles point for A&M at No. 1 with an 8-6 win over Sooners Anda Perianu (Braila, Romania) and Heather Saluri (Des Moines, Iowa). It was the duo's first defeat in match play this spring snapping an eight-match win streak.

Oklahoma managed only two victories in singles while A&M was victorious at the No. 1, 2, 3 and 5 positions. Sooner sophomore Saluri won in straight sets over Aggie Lauren Walker, 6-2, 6-4, while Mendieta won the last two sets at No. 6 over Iwinski, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3.

The Sooner women fought hard but came up short in several matches. Three out of the four matches A&M won in singles went three sets. Sooner senior Elena Jirnova (Kiev, Ukraine) pushed A&M's Ashley Hedberg to a third set at No. 2 singles before falling, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2. OU sophomore Bethany Griffin (Amarillo, Texas) came out on fire dominating Mechem at No. 5 singles but lost the last two sets, 0-6, 7-5, 6-1, while senior Annete Bryntesson (Perth, Australia) also jumped out to an early lead before succumbing to Spencer at No. 3 singles, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5.

The Sooners will complete their road trip through the state of Texas on Saturday, March 22, with another tough test against the No. 43 Texas Longhorns. UT is 5-6 overall but is undefeated in conference play with a record of 5-0 including a recent 4-3 win over No. 44 Baylor. Match time is set for 10 a.m. at the Penick-Allison Tennis Center in Austin.

No. 29 Texas A&M 5, No. 32 Oklahoma 2
Thursday, March 20
Texas A&M Tennis Center
College Station, Texas

Singles
1. Jessica Roland (TAMU) def. (#94) Anda Perianu (OU)           6-0, 6-0
2. Ashley Hedberg (TAMU) def. Elena Jirnova (OU)                6-3, 2-6, 6-2
3. Roberta Spencer (TAMU) def. Annette Bryntesson (OU)          2-6, 6-4, 7-5
4. Heather Saluri (OU) def. Lauren Walker (TAMU)                6-2, 6-4
5. Nicki Mechem (TAMU) def. Bethany Griffin (OU)                0-6, 7-5, 6-2
6. Melissa Mendieta (OU) def. Seva Iwinski (TAMU)               5-7, 6-1, 6-3

Doubles
1. Roland/Spencer (TAMU) def. (#34) Perianu/Saluri (OU)         8-6
2. Hedberg/Walker (TAMU) def. Bryntesson/Griffin (OU)           8-4
3. Jessica Braver/Mendieta (OU) def. Iwinski/Mechem (TAMU)      8-3

University of Oklahoma Athletics

OU Women's Tennis Defeated By No. 29 Texas A&M

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