March 30, 2003

OXFORD, Miss.

The No. 7 University of Tennessee Lady Vol tennis team continued to plow its way through the SEC on Sunday by disposing of 42nd-ranked Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss., by a 6-1 count. The win was UT's seventh in a row in conference play, upping its mark to 7-1. The Lady Volunteers are 17-4 overall. The Lady Rebels fell to 5-12 on the year and 1-7 in league competition with the loss.

The Lady Vols were stellar in the doubles, dropping only four games between the three matches. The Big Orange's first victory came at the No. 2 slot, where the nation's No. 35 tandem of junior Tammy Encina and sophomore Majen Immink blanked juniors Audra Adams and Sabrina Peppl, 8-0, to improve to 13-1 in dual matches and 8-0 in the SEC.

The No. 52 duo of senior Crystal Cleveland and freshman Sabita Maharaj clinched the doubles point for UT at the No. 3 hole with an 8-2 decision over juniors Florencia Basile and Karem Harboe. Cleveland and Maharaj are 9-1 on the year and 7-0 versus SEC teams.

Senior Vilmarie Castellvi and rookie Melissa Schaub, the nation's No. 6-tabbed combo, wrapped up the doubles with an 8-2 triumph over the 44th-rated team of senior Mira Radu and freshman Virginia Tomatis at No. 1 doubles. Castellvi and Schaub are 15-4 at the top spot this year and 22-5 overall. The pair is also 9-3 against ranked foes.

The 104th-ranked Cleveland was the first Lady Vol to register a victory in the singles, defeating Tomatis at the third position, 6-1, 6-4. She moved her slate on the season to 27-8 and 18-3 in dual matches with the win. Cleveland has also won 17 of her last 18 matchups.

The Lady Rebels responded with what would be their only victory on the day at two singles, where Harboe made short work of Encina, 6-0, 6-3. Encina dropped to 18-13 with the loss and 10-8 in dual match play.

Schaub joined Castellvi and Cleveland as the only Lady Vols to post 20 victories in singles this year when she dispatched of Basile in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4, at the No. 4 position. Her record stands at 20-13 and 14-6 in duals. The Lexington, Ohio, native has also won five of her last six contests after a rough 0-4 start in the SEC.

In need of just one point to clinch the match, Tennessee sophomore Ashley Robards answered the call with her ninth-straight win. She upended Adams, 6-4, 6-1, at No. 6 singles to up her record to 17-11 and 12-4 in dual matches. It was the fourth time Robards clinched a match for UT this season, tying her with Castellvi for the team lead.

Maharaj pushed her record to 13-11 with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Peppl at the fifth slot to give the Lady Vols a 5-1 advantage. The win also propelled her dual match ledger back over the .500 mark at 7-6.

Castellvi, ranked No. 3 in the country, finished up the Tennessee victory with a 6-0, 7-5 decision over 25th-rated Radu at the top spot. Radu came into the match on the heels of a win over Georgia's Agata Cioroch, the nation's No. 1 player. Castellvi's record improved to 34-4 with the win and 19-1 at the top slot. It was also her 13th consecutive win.

After playing nine straight matches away from Knoxville, the Lady Vols will return home for a pair of SEC contests with No. 5 Florida and No. 37 South Carolina on April 4 and 6. UT's showdown with the Gators is slated for a 5 p.m. start, while Sunday's contest with the Gamecocks will begin at 1 p.m. Both matches will be held at UT Varsity Courts and Goodfriend Tennis Center.

Final Score: #7 Tennessee (17-4, 7-1 SEC) 6, #42 Ole Miss (5-12, 1-7 SEC) 1

SINGLES
No. 1	#3 Vilmarie Castellvi (UT) def. #25 Mira Radu (OM)	6-0, 7-5
No. 2	Karem Harboe (OM) def. Tammy Encina (UT)	6-0, 6-3
No. 3	#104 Crystal Cleveland (UT) def. Virginia Tomatis (OM)	6-1, 6-4
No. 4	Melissa Schaub (UT) def. Florencia Basile (OM)	6-1, 6-4
No. 5	Sabita Maharaj (UT) def. Sabrina Peppl (OM)	6-3, 6-3
No. 6	Ashley Robards (UT) def. Audra Adams (OM)	6-4, 6-1
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 4, 6*, 5, 1
DOUBLES
No. 1	#6 Castellvi/Schaub (UT) def. #44 Radu/Tomatis (OM)	8-2
No. 2	#35 Encina/Majen Immink (UT) def. Adams/Peppl (OM)	8-0
No. 3	#52 Cleveland/Maharaj (UT) def. Basile/Harboe (OM)	8-2
Order of Finish: 2, 3*, 1
* clinching point