Sept. 30, 2005
LEXINGTON, Kent. -- With one tournament under their belt for the fall, the Auburn women's tennis team showed improvement on the first day of the Kentucky Fall Invitational. The Tigers' trio of seniors Ashley Cowart and Erin Gray and freshman Alex Haney finished the day with victories in three of seven matches. The three victories are a vast improvement over the first day at the season-opening Wolfpack Invitational, where the Tigers went 0-for-6.
"On the whole, we made some steps today," head coach Tim Gray said. "The process is improving and they are learning. Overall, I was pretty pleased with how we played today."
In singles play, senior Ashley Cowart won her opening match in the A Flight, 6-4, 6-1, over Caitlin O'Keefe of Ohio State. In her quarterfinal match, Cowart lost to Lynzee Keever of Marshall, 6-3, 6-0. Keever, who transferred from Colorado, was selected to the All-Big 12 Singles Team in 2004. Cowart will face Joelle Schwenk of Kentucky at 8 a.m. Saturday in a consolation match.
For the second straight week, freshman Alex Haney dropped her opening match, only to win her next. Haney lost to Annette Aksdal of Denver, 6-3, 6-2 before winning a 6-0, 6-1 decision over Emily Wang of Illinois. Haney continues play in the A Flight Saturday at 8 a.m. versus Shannon Brown of Marshall in the consolation semis.
Senior Erin Gray dropped both her matches in the C Flight. Gray lost 7-5, 6-1 to Pooji Koomireddi of Middle Tennessee State in the first round. In the consolation quarters, Gray fell to Tara Byrne of East Tennessee State, 7-5, 6-3. She will face Jemma Euers of Eastern Kentucky at 9 a.m. in a consolation match Saturday.
In the lone doubles match Cowart and Gray moved their win streak to four as they made quick work of Ohio State's duo of Finucane and Blackmore, 8-0.
The Tigers continue play at the Kentucky Fall Invitational on Saturday. For the latest news in Auburn tennis, please visit www.auburntigers.com
Women's Collegiate Tennis
Kentucky Fall Invitational
Lexington, Kent.
Singles Flight A
Ashley Cowart, AU, def. Caitlin O'Keefe, Ohio State, 6-4, 6-1.
Lynzee Keever, Marshall, def. Ashley Cowart, AU 6-3, 6-0.
Annette Aksdal, Denver, def. Alex Haney, AU, 6-3, 6-2.
Alex Haney, AU, def. Emily Wang, Illinois, AU, 6-0, 6-1.
Flight C
Pooji Koomireddi, MTSU, def. Erin Gray, AU, 7-5, 6-1.
Tara Byrne, ETSU, def. Erin Gray, AU, 7-5, 6-3.
Doubles Flight A
Ashley Cowart and Alex Haney, AU, def. Finucane and Blackmore, Ohio State, 8-0.