USD Women's Tennis Falls to Seattle and Air Force; Soleymani Records 2 Big Wins

1/23/2010

Shadi Soleymani

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Despite two impressive wins at No. 1 singles by Shadi Soleymani, The University of South Dakota women’s tennis team fell short in a pair of matches Saturday in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Coyotes lost to Seattle, 6-1 and also suffered a 6-1 loss to Air Force.

Soleymani (So., Vasteras, Sweden) had two impressive wins for USD. Against Seattle, she beat Ariel Ohno, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 at No. 1 singles, and against Air Force, she beat Christine Molina, 6-0, 7-5.

“Shadi really earned her stripes. She defeated the Air Force No. 1 singles player and the Seattle No. 1 singles player,” USD head coach Malcolm Gilreath said.

Against Seattle, USD (3-2 duals) nearly pulled off a win at No. 3 singles, as Marina Kiefer (Fr., Vero, Beach, Fla.) battled Audree Jenks to three sets before falling. Kiefer had three matches points in the second set before Jenks rallied.

“Marina Kiefer fought very hard in her match,” Gilreath said.

Against Air Force, an established Division I program, Soleymani recorded the lone win for USD.

“It was very good competition. We continue to work on our games,” said Gilreath. “The ladies fought hard. It was good experience.”

USD caps off its Colorado trip on Sunday with a match against Gonzaga. The contest begins at 9 a.m. in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Seattle 6, South Dakota 1
Doubles
No. 1 – Audree Jenks/Nicole Fleckenstein (S) def. Shadi Soleymani/Marina Kiefer, 8-2
No. 2 – Ariel Ohno/Steffanie Mortera (S) def. Isabel Nunez/Brittney Smith, 8-0
No. 3 – Katrina Schwab/Whitney Cheng (S) def. Rijalda Zejnic/Kelsi Foster, 8-3
Singles
No. 1 – Soleymani (USD) def. Ohno, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3
No. 2 – Schwab (S) def. Melanie Rockne, 6-2, 6-1
No. 3 – Jenks (S) def. Kiefer, 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 2-6
No. 4 – Cheng (S) def. Zejnic, 6-2, 6-2
No. 5 – Mortera (S) def. Nunez, 6-2, 6-2
No. 6 – Sugimoto (S) def. Foster, 6-2, 6-2

Air Force 6, South Dakota 1
Doubles
No. 1 – Hannah Dake/Melissa Cecil (AF) def. Soleymani/Kiefer, 8-0
No. 2 – Tahlia Smoke/Allie Chermel (AF) def. Nunez/Smith, 8-1
No. 3 – Katrina Eromin/Erlyn Rudico (AF) def. Rockne/Foster, 8-0
Singles
No. 1 – Soleymani (USD) def. Molina, 6-0, 7-5
No. 2 – Dake (AF) def. Rockne, 6-0, 6-0
No. 3 – Cecil (AF) dec. Kiefer, 6-1, 6-1
No. 4 – Smoke (AF) def. Zejnic, 6-1, 6-1
No. 5 – Cassman (AF) def. Nunez, 6-2, 6-1
No. 6 – Eromin (AF) def. Foster, 6-0, 6-1