Clemson Women’s Tennis Falls To Stanford In NCAA Final Four

May 21, 2005

ATHENS, GA – The Clemson women’s tennis team fell to Stanford in the semi-finals of the NCAA Women’s Tennis Team Championships played Saturday at the Henry Feild Stadium Courts at the Dan Magill Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Georgia. In a match even closer than the score indicates, the Cardinal ended the Tigers’ 2005 season with their 4-2 victory. Clemson is the first team to record two team points against Stanford in NCAA play since the Cardinal lost to Florida, 4-3, in the 2003 NCAA final. This was the Tigers’ second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Final Four.

“I was really proud of the team today,” said Clemson head coach Nancy Harris. “We were very concerned about Northwestern and then we saw that Vanderbilt was upset, so we just took it one match at a time. We were happy to get past Northwestern and then we had to play our ACC opponent North Carolina yesterday. Obviously we were worried about the weather conditions and the time it took to play that match. We came through some adversity to get to the semis and I think we were so close today. The team was so close to getting Stanford in the singles and with a few more points and a little more luck we might have pulled it off. This is a team that will set the standard for many years for Clemson and a team that had so much talent and so much potential to be this successful.

“I was very happy to see them finish this high and this strong. We started out ranked high at the beginning of the year then we had two key injuries and then to come back and finish it in the Final Four, this team earned that Final Four performance.”

Stanford took a 1-0 lead after doubles, capturing victories at flights two and three. At flight three, Stanford’s Whitney Deason and Lejla Hodzic defeated the Tigers’ Romy Farah and Carol Salge by a score of 8-1. The Cardinal’s doubles tandem of Alice Barnes and Erin Burdette defeated Clemson’s Daniela Alvarez and Maria Brito by a score of 8-3 at flight two to clinch the doubles point.

In singles play, Stanford increased its lead to 2-0, as the Cardinal’s 61st-ranked Anne Yelsey defeated Carol Salge of Clemson by a score of 6-0, 6-1. At flight four, the Tigers’ Daniela Alvarez.

Stanford 4, Clemson 2Doubles 1. Julie Coin/Alix Lacelarie (CU) vs. Amber Liu/Anne Yelsey (SU) DNF 2. Alice Barnes/Erin Burdette (SU) def. Daniela Alvarez/Maria Brito (CU) 8-3 3. Whitney Deason/Lejla Hodzic (SU) def. Romy Farah/Carol Salge (CU) 8-1 Order of Finish: 3,2

Singles 1. Julie Coin (CU) def. Amber Liu (SU) 6-1, 7-6 (3) 2. Romy Farah (CU) vs. Alice Barnes (SU) DNF 3. Alix Lacelarie (CU) def. Erin Burdette (SU) 7-6 (3), 6-2 4. Theresa Logar (SU) def. Maria Brito (CU) 6-0, 6-2 5. Whitney Deason (SU) def. Daniela Alvarez (CU) 6-4, 6-2 6. Anne Yelsey (SU) def. Carol Salge (CU) 6-0, 6-1 Order of Finish: 6,4,1,3,5