April 23, 2006
CARY, NC – With singles wins by Kelly Anderson, Kristi Miller and Christy Striplin, the 10th-ranked Georgia Tech women’s tennis team captured its second ACC Championship in as many years with a 4-1 victory over No. 9 Miami Sunday afternoon at the Cary Tennis Center in Cary, NC.
With the win, the Yellow Jackets tied their previous season-high with their 21st win, moving to 21-5 on the season, while Miami dropped to 19-6.
“Our goal from the first day of practice in the fall was to come back and win the ACC Championship,” said Georgia Tech head coach Bryan Shelton. “The girls have kept that goal in front of them all year, and for them to come out and keep that against a great Miami team is just a credit to the heart and discipline that they show every day.”
Tech improved to 5-3 against the Hurricanes, and are a perfect 5-0 against Miami since Shelton began coaching on the Flats in 2000. After earning the first ACC Tennis Championship in school history a year ago, the Jackets are now back-to-back champions for the first time in history.
The Jackets took a 1-0 lead in the match with quick victories at the Nos. 2 and 3 doubles slots. The Tech duo of Kacie Anson and Alison Silverio dropped Caren Seenauth and Patricia Starzyk, 8-3, on court three before Anderson and Whitney McCray captured the deciding point with an 8-4 victory over Monika Dancevic and Audrey Banada at the No. 2 position.
“I think that our team stepped up in so many spots today,” said Shelton. “It started with our best doubles effort of the year, and it culminated with players stepping up in singles.”
Anderson, ranked No. 111 in singles, gave the Jackets a 2-0 edge with a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Starzyk on court five before No. 83 Melissa Applebaum pulled the `Canes within one point with a 6-2, 6-4 win over No. 60 Lyndsay Shosho at No. 2 singles.
ACC Tournament MVP Kristi Miller, the top-ranked singles player in the nation, then pushed the score to 3-0 with a hard-fought 6-4, 6-3 victory over the nation’s No. 2 singles player, ACC Player of the Year Audra Cohen, before Striplin clinched the championship for the Jackets with a 6-1, 7-5 win against Seenauth at the No. 6 slot in the lineup.
“Up and down the lineup, I saw quality tennis all day long,” added Shelton, “and at the end of the day, we were holding the trophy. I’m just really proud of this group of players.”
Tennis Match Results
Miami vs Georgia Tech
Apr 23, 2006 at Cary, NC
#10 Georgia Tech 4, #9 Miami 1
Singles competition
1. #1 Kristi Miller (GT) def. #2 Audra Cohen (UM) 6-4, 6-3
2. #83 Melissa Applebaum (UM) def. #60 Lyndsay Shosho (GT) 6-2, 6-4
3. #71 Alison Silverio (GT) vs. Monika Dancevic (UM) 4-6, 6-4, 2-0, unfinished
4. #107 Tarryn Rudman (GT) vs. Audrey Banada (UM) 6-3, 6-6 (3-0), unfinished
5. #111 Kelly Anderson (GT) def. Patricia Starzyk (UM) 6-0, 6-3
6. Christy Striplin (GT) def. Caren Seenauth (UM) 6-1, 7-5
Doubles competition
1. #9 Miller/ Shosho (GT) vs. #3 Applebaum/ Cohen (UM) 4-5, unfinished
2. Anderson/Whitney McCray (GT) def. Dancevic/ Banada (UM) 8-4
3. Kacie Anson/ Silverio (GT) def. Seenauth/ Starzyk (UM) 8-3
Match Notes:
Miami 19-6; National ranking #9
Georgia Tech 21-5; National ranking #10
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (5,2,1,6)
