Feb. 7, 2012

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University women's tennis team will continue play in its season-opening homestand Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs welcome the Jacksonville State Gamecocks to the Samford Tennis Center for a key in-state matchup.

Samford (3-0) enters the contest with a full head of stream after opening the 2012 spring season with consecutive victories against Middle Tennessee, Louisiana-Lafayette and Austin Peay. All three of the Bulldogs' wins have occurred at home.

In Friday's 6-1 triumph against Austin Peay, Samford swept the doubles point and then received straight-set singles wins from Madelie Janse Van Rensburg, Stephanie N'tcha, Rebecca Kirven, Lindsey Mallory and Emily Mallory.

Janse Van Rensburg, the Bulldogs' senior from Franschhoek, South Africa, tallied a 6-2, 7-5 victory in the No. 2 singles matchup, while true freshman N'tcha breezed by the Lady Govs' Ornella Di Salvo, 6-3, 6-1, on court No. 3.

Samford's Kirven was victorious in the No. 4 singles matchup, while the Bulldogs' Lindsey Mallory and Emily Mallory earned 6-1, 6-0, and 6-0, 6-2 wins on courts No. 5 and No. 6, respectively.

So far this season, Samford's Janse Van Rensburg owns a perfect 3-0 record in singles play on court No. 2. Emily Mallory is also unblemished in singles play with a similar 3-0 mark on court No. 6.

Jacksonville State (1-1) heads into Wednesday's contest looking to rebound from a hard-fought 4-3 loss at Southern Miss on Sunday. After opening their 2012 campaign with a 4-3 home win at William Carey University, the Gamecocks squared off against the Golden Eagles and lost on the road for the first time this season.

Against Southern Miss, Jacksonville State lost the doubles point on courts No. 2 and No. 3, with the clinching point coming as the Golden Eagles' duo of Alex Bradley and Katie Lanier topped the Gamecocks' tandem of Rafaela Wenzel and Danielle Kerindi, 8-3.

Southern Miss' pairing of Moorea Williams and Mackenzie Oskin then turned back the Gamecocks' team of Zoe Izinos and Kelly Tomlin, 8-3.

In singles play, Jacksonville State's Wenzel, Izinos and Tomlin turned in wins on their respective courts. After the match had been clinched, Wenzel registered a three-set win over Oskin, 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 (4). Izinos earned her second consecutive singles win with a straight sets win over Williams, 6-3, 6-4. Tomlin also moved to 2-0 on the season after defeating Southern Miss' Frances Askew.

Last season, Samford and Jacksonville State squared off in their annual in-state rivalry in Jacksonville, Ala. The Bulldogs won two of the three doubles matches and took an early 1-0 lead in the contest.

Samford's No. 1 doubles combination of Taylor Morgan and Lindsey Mallory outlasted Jacksonville State's duo comprised of Vivane and Martina Dessbesell 8-6, while the Bulldogs' tandem of Janse Van Rensburg and Jessica Diamond breezed by the Gamecocks' pairing of Juliana Renesto and Tomlin 8-1 on court No. 3.

In singles play, the Bulldogs defeated their Jacksonville State counterparts on five of the six courts to earn a 6-1 dual-match victory. Samford's Morgan, Andrie Meiring, Janse Van Rensburg, Kristin Lewis and Lindsey Mallory were all triumphant.

Following Wednesday's in-state showdown with Jacksonville State, the Samford University women's tennis team will next be in action Saturday at 10 a.m. (CST) as the Bulldogs conclude their season-opening, five-match homestand against the South Alabama Jaguars at the Samford Tennis Center.