Feb. 29, 2008

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - - Memphis won three of the top four singles matches, but came up just short in a 4-3 loss to Ball State (5-3), Friday afternoon.

Head Coach Lee Taylor Walker tweaked the doubles line-up, trying to find chemistry to help Memphis win the doubles point and stop putting themselves down in a 1-0 hole to start the match. But while the new tandem of Ashley Murdock and Kristin Chamberlain, both St. Agnes graduates, won their match at No. 3 doubles, 8-2, Ball State prevailed 8-2 at No. 1 and 8-6 at No. 2 to go up early in the match, 1-0.

The Cardinals then stretched out to a 2-0 lead with a win at No. 5 singles. But Ashley Murdock won her ninth straight singles match to put the Lady Tigers on the board, winning 6-4, 6-2 at No. 1. The remaining matches were tight as both Marjorie Ondeck and Lindsey Wiseman came back from first set losses to win their second sets, but in the meanwhile, Ball State added a third point with a 6-2, 7-5 win at No. 6 singles. But then White Station's Jennifer Pollack closed out a victory at No. 2 singles, 6-4, 6-2, to give Ball State the victory. Ondeck and Wiseman both bounced back to win their final sets, but 4-3 was as close as the Lady Tigers could get.

Memphis will remain at home for one more non-conference match before starting a six-match road swing. The Lady Tigers will host Tennessee Tech, at 2:30 p.m., Saturday, at Rhodes College in Memphis. That match will be the Lady Tigers' first outdoor match of the spring.

Ball State 4, Memphis 3
Singles
No. 1 - Ashley Murdock (UM) def. Sophie Quist, 6-4, 6-2
No. 2 - Jennifer Pollack def. Amanda Brown (UM), 6-4, 6-2
No. 3 - Marjorie Ondeck (UM) def. Haly Calderwood, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
No. 4 - Lindsey Wiseman (UM) def. Emma Retter, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
No. 5 - Hayley Hall def. Ekin Zafir (UM), 6-1, 6-0
No. 6 - Georgina Thomson def. Kristin Chamberlain (UM), 6-2, 7-5
Doubles
No. 1 - Haly Calderwood/Jennifer Pollack def. Ekin Zafir/Lindsey Wiseman (UM), 8-2
No. 2 - Sophie Quist/Georgina Thomson def. Marjorie Ondeck/Amanda Brown (UM), 8-6
No. 3 - Ashley Murdock/Kristin Chamberlain (UM) def. Emma Retter/Katherine Rist, 8-2