ECU Wins C-USA Tourney Opener, 4-3

April 16, 2009

HOUSTON, Texas - Rocio Cabanillas rallied back from a first-set deficit to record a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Jenny Cape in a No. 5 singles match to lift East Carolina to a 4-3 win in opening round action of the 2009 Conference USA Women's Tennis Championship Tournament Thursday afternoon at Jake Hess Stadium on the Rice University campus.

The sixth-seeded Lady Pirates (15-6) advance to face No. 3 Marshall Friday, while the Blazers complete their season with a 6-9 mark.

While Cabanillas capped East Carolina's comeback, Varinia Soler's 1-6, 6-1, 7-5 triumph against Paula Alvarez in a No. 2 meeting erased a 3-2 deficit and set the stage for Cabanillas' match-decider.

After UAB tallied the doubles point, the Blazers extended their lead to 2-0 on Giorgia Romeo's 6-2, 6-0 victory over Natalie Collins at No. 3. The Lady Pirates used straight-set wins by Brooke Walter (6-1, 6-3) and Tamara Sachs (6-4, 6-1) over Brittany DeFelice and Ceylan Engin at the No. 4 and No. 6 slots, respectively, to draw even. UAB's Evelien Strijker followed by putting UAB one point away from advancement with a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 triumph over Jessica Cook at No. 1 before Soler and Cabanillas sparked the rally.

DeFelice and Romeo earned an 8-3 decision over Cabanillas and Walter in a No. 2 doubles matchup to break a 1-1 pairs deadlock and push the Blazers into a 1-0 advantage. Collins and Sachs produced East Carolina's only tandem victory by rolling past Cape and Engin 8-4.

The win over UAB marked the second-straight season that the Lady Pirates opened C-USA Championship play by handing the Blazers a first-round exit.

No. 6 EAST CAROLINA 4, No. 11 UAB 3
Singles Play
No. 1 - Evelien Strijker (UAB) def. Jessica Cook (ECU); 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
No. 2 - Varinia Soler (ECU) def. Paula Alvarez (UAB); 1-6, 6-1, 7-5
No. 3 - Giorgia Romeo (UAB) def. Natalie Collins (ECU); 6-2, 6-0
No. 4 - Brooke Walter (ECU) def. Brittany DeFelice (UAB); 6-1, 6-3
No. 5 - Rocio Cabanillas (ECU) def. Jenny Cape (UAB); 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
No. 6 - Tamara Sachs (ECU) def. Ceylan Engin (UAB); 6-4, 6-1
Doubles Play
No. 1 - Alvarez/Strijker (UAB) def. Cook/Soler (ECU); 8-4
No. 2 - DeFelice/Romeo (UAB) def. Cabanillas/Walter (ECU); 8-3
No. 3 - Collins/Sachs (ECU) def. Cape/Engin (UAB); 8-4
Team Records: UAB 6-9, East Carolina 15-6

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