Feb. 16, 2005
ATLANTA–Lyndsay Shosho rallied from a 4-0 deficit in the third set to clinch a 4-3 victory for the 23rd-ranked Georgia Tech women’s tennis team over No. 37 Alabama, Wednesday at the Bill Moore Tennis Center.
Tech (4-0) won the first three points but trailed in the four remaining matches before Shosho rallied to defeat Maria Muller at No. 5 singles, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.
“We were very fortunate to come away with a “W” today,” said Tech head Bryan Shelton. “To Alabama’s credit, they fought hard the entire match. I was very proud of Lyndsay for the way she fought back in the third set.
“This was our first match outdoors. We have two more matches in the next four days, and hopefully we will have good weather so we can get outside and work on some things. This week will be a real test for our team.”
The Jackets captured the doubles point and then picked up singles wins from Alison Silverio at the No. 4 position and Dasha Potapova at No. 3, both in straight sets. Silverio knocked off Andrea Brenes, 6-1, 6-2, and Potapova topped Melissa Minor, 6-2, 6-3.
Tech swept the three doubles flights. The Jackets’ top duo of Kristi Miller and Alison Silverio, ranked 16th in the nation, defeated Alabama’s 12th-ranked pair, Robin Stephenson and Ashley Bentley, 8-4, at the No. 1 flight. At No. 2 doubles, Shosho and Anderson, ranked 58th, downed Melissa Minor and Natalie McElveen, 8-1, while Whitney McCray and Esther van Londen won 8-6 over Sonja Nikolic and Maria Muller.
Alabama (2-3) won the top two singles flights as Robin Stephenson, the nation’s eighth-ranked singles player, defeated Tech’s Kristi Miller, ranked 18th, at No. 1 singles, 5-7, 6-2, 6-3, and 75th-ranked Ashley Bentley downed No. 79 Kelly Anderson at No. 2, 6-2, 6-7, 6-0. The Crimson Tide also won at No. 6 singles, where Natalie McElveen defeated Whitney McCray, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.
Tech hosts Rice Thursday at 2 p.m. and then Harvard Sunday, also at 2 p.m. Both matches will be played, rain or shine, at the Bill Moore Tennis Center on the Tech campus, and admission is free.
No. 23 GEORGIA TECH (4-0) 4, No. 37 ALABAMA (2-3) 3Bill Moore Tennis CenterDoubles:1. (16) Alison Silverio/Kristi Miller (GT) d. (12) Robin Stephenson/Ashley Bentley (A), 8-42. (58) Lyndsay Shosho/Kelly Anderson (GT) d. Melissa Minor/Natalie McElveen (A), 8-13. Whitney/McCray/Esther van London (GT) d. Sonja Nikolic/Maria Muller (A), 8-6
Singles 1. (8) Robin Stephenson (A) d. (18) Kristi Miller (GT), 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 2. (75) Ashley Bentley (A) d. (79) Kelly Anderson (GT), 6-2, 6-7, 6-0 3. Dasha Potapova (GT) d. Melissa Minor (A), 6-2, 6-3 4. Alison Silverio (GT) d. Andrea Brenes (A), 6-1, 6-2 5. *Lyndsay Shosho (GT) d. Maria Muller (A), 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 6. Natalie McElveen (A) d. Whitney McCray (GT), 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 *Clinching match
