Airapetian and Franco gather weekend doubles sweep at #1 Arkansas falls
FAYETTEVILLE – Sophomore Nanar Airapetian and junior Maryori Franco completed a weekend sweep at the No. 1 doubles position, but it wasn’t enough as the University of South Carolina swept the University of Arkansas women’s tennis team 7-0 Sunday afternoon.
The loss brings Arkansas to a 7-8 overall and 0-6 in Southeastern Conference play this spring. With the win, the Gamecocks move to 13-3 overall and 5-1 in the SEC.
Doubles started off the match with a competitive atmosphere that lasted for nearly two hours as Franco and Airapetian picked up an upset win over the 19th-ranked doubles team in the country, South Carolina’s Ana Marija Zubori and Gira Schofield. The win gives the Lady’Back pair their second conference win in a row and also marks the biggest doubles upset in both of their Lady’Back careers.
On court two, sophomore Ela Kaluder and junior Maryori Franco pushed Gamecock’s Christyn Lucas and Natasa Vuckovic to a tiebreaker to determine the doubles advantage, but South Carolina edged ahead to give themselves the match lead.
The Lady’Backs are off to Starkville, Mississippi on Friday, March 30, as they continue through the SEC schedule. Arkansas returns home on Sunday, April 1, to host Ole Miss. For more information on Arkansas tennis or any other Lady Razorback sport, please visit LADYBACKS.COM.
Tennis Match Results:
South Carolina 7, Arkansas 0
March 25, 2007
Singles Results:
1. #118 Gira Schofield (SC) def. #25 Ela Kaluder (UA) 6-2, 6-1
2. Ana Marija Zubori (SC) def. Maryori Franco (UA) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
3. Vanessa Pinto (SC) def. Nanar Airapetian (UA) 6-3, 6-3
4. #125 Natasa Vuckovic (SC) def. Audrey Bordeleau (UA) 6-1, 6-0
5. Christyn Lucas (SC) def. Rachel Wilhelm (UA) 2-6, 6-0, 6-2
6. Laura Ganzer (SC) def. Melissa Hoffmeister (UA) 7-6(1), 6-0*
Doubles Results:
1. Maryori Franco/Nanar Airapetian (UA) def. #19 Ana Marija Zubori/Gira Schofield (SC) 8-6*
2. Christyn Lucas/Natasa Vuckovic (SC) def. Audrey Bordeleau/Ela Kaluder (UA) 9-8(5)
3. Laura Ganzer/Vanessa Pinto (SC) def. Melissa Hoffmeister/Rachel Wilhelm (UA) 8-2
Order of Finish: 4,1,6,3,2,5 3,1,2
