Oct. 24, 2003

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.

All three Tennessee Lady Vols in action at the Omni Hotel Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Southeast Regional Championships got off to a strong start in singles play, as Ashley Robards, Sabita Maharaj and Majen Immink all posted victories on Friday. Additionally, Robards and Maharaj won their first doubles match of the day, before later falling in the Round of 16.

Robards, the tournament's fourth seed, opened up singles play with a 6-0, 7-6 triumph over Duke's Parker Goyer in the Round of 64. Maharaj, seeded eighth in the singles draw, also cruised by her first-round opponent, downing Wake Forest's Blakely Offutt, 6-4, 6-2. Immink then continued the Orange and White success with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Winthrop's Ana Novaes.

In the Round of 32, Immink will face a tough challenge against the two seed, No. 88 Danela Alvarez of Clemson at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Robards, meanwhile, will square off against North Carolina State's Kristin Lam at 9 a.m., while Maharaj will battle Kentucky's Sarah Foster at 10 a.m.

The tandem of Robards and Maharaj, meanwhile, notched an 8-4 victory over Alex Hirsch and Danielle Schwartz of Wake Forest on Friday morning in the doubles Round of 32. In their next match, however, the Lady Vol pair fell to seventh-seeded Sarah Foster and Aibika Kalsarieva of Kentucky, 8-2. Robards and Maharaj had opened the tourney on Thursday by defeating Carmen Linder and Pascale Veraverbeke of Campbell, 8-3, in the Round of 64.

Following their return from the tournament, the Lady Vol tennis squad's next competition will come at the SEC Coaches Tournament in Peachtree City, Ga., over Nov. 6-9.

Omni Hotel ITA Southeast Regional

UT Doubles Results for Fri., Oct. 24
Robards/Maharaj (UT) def. Hirsch/Schwartz (Wake Forest), 8-4 (Round of 32)
#7 seed Foster/Kalsarieva def. Robards/Maharaj (UT), 8-2 (Round of 16)

UT Singles Results for Fri., Oct. 24
#4 seed Ashley Robards (UT) def. Parker Goyer (Duke), 6-0, 7-6 (Round of 64)
#8 seed Sabita Maharaj (UT) def. Blakely Offutt (Wake Forest), 6-4, 6-2 (Round of 64)
Majen Immink (UT) def. Ana Novaes (Winthrop), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 (Round of 64)

UT Singles Schedule for Sat., Oct. 25
#4 seed Ashley Robards (UT) vs. Kristin Lam (North Carolina State), 9 a.m. (Round of 32)
#8 seed Sabita Maharaj (UT) vs. Sarah Foster (Kentucky), 10 a.m. (Round of 32)
Majen Immink (UT) vs. #2 seed/No. 88 Danela Alvarez (Clemson), 11 a.m. (Round of 32)