Redhawks tennis keeps tournament hopes alive

Southeast remained in the hunt for a spot in the OVC tourney with a victory over Jacksonville State.

The Southeast Missouri State women's tennis team stayed alive for a berth in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament Sunday with a 4-3 win over Jacksonville State in Murray, Ky.

Southeast, which posted its second straight victory, improved to 10-11 overall and 2-6 in OVC play.

The top six finishers in the 11-team OVC qualify for the tournament. Southeast is in a battle with Jacksonville State and Morehead State for the sixth and final spot.

Morehead State is currently sixth at 4-4, with two tough matches remaining, while Jacksonville State is done with its league schedule at 4-6.

If the Redhawks win their final two matches this week, against two of the OVC's bottom squads -- at Austin Peay Wednesday and at home against Eastern Illinois Friday -- they could still force a tie for the tournament's final berth.

"This was a really big win for us," Southeast coach Jay Pacelli said. "We still have to take care of business, but I like our chances in the last two matches.

"If we can win those two matches, we'll have a good chance to tie for sixth place, and then it will come down to a tie-breaker."

After taking the doubles point, Southeast received singles wins from No. 1 Bryce Kristal, No. 3 Julia Masotti and No. 4 Luz Garcia, with Garcia's triumph clinching the team victory.

SOUTHEAST 4, JACKSONVILLE STATE 3

Singles

1. Bryce Kristal (S) def. Michelle Dushner 6-2, 6-2

2. Erin Higgs (J) def. Drew Kristal 6-2, 6-2

3. Julia Masotti (S) def. Eloah Lopes 6-2, 6-0

4. Luz Garcia (S) def. Babette Lombardo 6-3, 6-3

5. Layla Abby (J) def. Julia Negosek, 6-0, 6-0

6. Adriena Borda (J) def. Kimmy Anderson 6-1, 6-0

Doubles

1. Kristal-Kristal (S) def. Dushner-Higgs 8-6

2. Masotti-Negosek (S) def. Abby-Lopes 9-8 (7-4)

3. Lombardo-Barnes (J) def. Garcia-Morgan Kemp 8-6

Blake leads gymnasts

Freshman Sandra Blake had Southeast's top individual finish during Saturday's NCAA South Central Regional women's gymnastics meet in Fayetteville, Ark.

Blake tied for ninth place on vault with a score of 9.800.

Sophomore Alison Ezell had the Redhawks' best all-around finish at 12th place with a 38.075 score. Blake was 15th (37.625) and junior Brystol Powelski was 16th (37.500).

Freshman Maureen Grimaldi led the way on bars in 23rd place (9.600), Ezell was 22nd on beam (9.550), and freshman Chelsea Unold tied for 23rd on floor (9.550).

The Redhawks, without a senior in the lineup, scored 189.05 and finished last in the six-team meet during their first regional appearance as a squad since 1997.

Florida, ranked third nationally, won the title with a 196.375, followed by host Arkansas (195.40), defending national champion UCLA (195.175), Illinois (193.125) and Illinois-Chicago (191.125).

"We didn't do as well as we would have liked, but we have such a young team," said Southeast coach Tom Farden, whose lineup consisted of seven freshman, a sophomore and a junior. "This was a great learning experience for them, and hopefully we can get back here next year."

The top two teams at each of the six NCAA regional sites advance to the NCAA Championships, set for April 20 to 22 in Corvallis, Ore.

--From staff reports