Page 6
The Blue Banner
April 26,2001
Sports
Tennis Teams Compete in Big South Tournament
ANTHONY GRECO/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Sophomore Stephen Poulos will return next year to help the
Bulldogs improve on their 4-18 record.
Bulldogs Lose 6-0 to Charleston Southern University in First
Round, Rockwell Earns Academic All-Conference Honors
ANTHONY GRECO/
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Junior Stephanie Shuba returns
a backhand in recent action.
Coastal Chanticleers Eliminate
Bulldogs in First Round Action
Jessica Welch
Sports Reporter
The UNCA women’s tennis team
lost to Elon College in the Big
South Tournament 4-1 April 19.
The Bulldogs finished the season
with an overall record of 7-13.
This marks the third consecutive
year the Big South Champion
ships were held at the Jimmy
Powell Tennis Center on the Elon
College Campus.
Freshman Sarah Cox won her
singles match in the three sets
against Elon’s Aubrey Rhoads 6-
4, 1-6 and 6-0.
Cox’s match was the only UNCA
victory.
Though freshman Emily Acker-
Estes played astrongsingles match
against Jennifer Fulmer, she was
unable to finish, according to head
coach Paul Pound.
“The team put in a tremendous
effort,” said Pound. “We hoped
for better results than what we
“It was a tough match,” said se
nior Nancy Livesay. “We defi
nitely showed improvement from
the first time we played them.”
Earlier this season, UNCA lost
to Elon College 5-2.
Top-ranked Coastal Carolina
University defeated second-ranked
Charleston Southern University
4-3 in the women’s final.
CCU, without any seniors, won
Final Big South Con
ference Standings for
Womens Tennis
1. Coastal Carolina
2. Charleston Southern
3. Elon College
4. High Point University
5. Winthrop University
6. UNC Asheville
7. Radford University
8. Liberty University
"It was great work
ing with the girls.
They kept a posi
tive attitude
throughout the
season.”
-Paul Pound,
UNCA Tennis Coach
their first-ever Big South women’s
tennistitle.
Coastal Carolina placed second
last season, earning the runner-
up position for the fifth time since
1987.
Two players from the UNCA
women’s team earned Big South
honors.
Livesay earned Academic All-
Conference honors.
“It was an honor,” said Livesay
about her achievement.
Junior Stephanie Shuba made
the All-Conference team.
“I thought it was a good season,”
said Livesay. “Everyone im
proved.”
“It was great working with the
girls,” said Pound. “They kept a
positive attitude throughout the
season.”
Next year, UNCA will lose only
one player, so the team will be
more experienced, according to
Pound.
Livesay and Shuba will lead the
team as seniors next season.
“Having two seniors will make
an impact,” said Pound.
This season, the Bulldogs were
devoid of senior leaders.
Pound has plans to approach
next year differently.
With i^ound coming to the
team late in the year, he felt the
girls did not have enough prepa
ration with workouts prior to the
spring season.
“The girls will work out a lot
harder physically in the fall, to
prepare for the upcoming sea
son,” said Pound.
Jessica Welch
Sports Reporter
The UNCA men’s tennis team
finished the season, losing to
Charleston Southern University,
in the Big South Tournament 6-
0 April 19.
The team went into the tourna
ment with a competitive attitude,
according to Head Coach Paul
Pound.
CSU, the number one team in
the conference, just outclassed the
Bulldogs, according to Pound.
CSU prevailed in the tourna
ment, beating second ranked
Winthrop University in the men’s
final, 4-1.
The victory marked CSU’s
fourth consecutive win and the
fifth win in six years, in the Big
South Tournament, according to
the Athletics Web site.
Freshman Nick Neal played a
strong match against CSU’s Rohan
Wadehra, according to Pound.
Neal and Wadehra’s match went
unfinished because CSU won the
overall match.
Neal played Wadehra earlier in
the season, losing 6-2, 6-1. Neal
improved his game, according to
Pound.
“This match shows that Nick has
the ability to sustain a high level of
play,” said Pound.
“My match proved that the team
and myself individually could have
performed better than what we did
this season,” said Neal.
Although the Bulldogs lost the
match, a few members on the men’s
and women’s teams received Big
South Conference honors.
Senior John Rockwell was named
to the Academic All-Conference
"I think with the
new coach the
team played the
best it has in the
four years I have
been here. The
team had a sense
of unity despite its
losing record.”
-John Rockwell,
UNCA Tennis Player
Final Big South
Conference Standings
For Men’s Tennis
1. Charleston South
ern
2. Winthrop Univer
sity
3. Elon College
4. Radford University
5. Liberty University
6. High Point Univer
sity
7. Coastal Carolina
University
8. UNC Asheville
team this year.
“I think with the new coach the
team played the best it has in the
four years I’ve been here,” said
Rockwell. “The team had a sense
of unity despite its losing record.”
UNCA finished the season with
an overall record of 4-18.
The Bulldogs will lose Rockwell
and Jakub Jez, the only two se
niors on the team this year. New
players will join the team next
season.
Pound said the new players will
help UNCA’s overall game.
“They will be impact players,”
said Pound.
“I am looking forward to next
year with the new recruits com
ing in,” said Neal.
“This season has been a tough
one for the team, but it has been
a competitive season,” said
Pound. “I am very proud of the
effort they put forth.”
Fans and supporters have been
important to the team.
“They made a difference in the
men’s performances,” said
Pound. “I know the team really
appreciated the encouragement. ”
UNCA’s 29th Annual Spring
Wildflower and Bird Pilgrimage
The UNCA Biology Dept, will hold its 29th
annual Spring Wildflower and Bird Pilgrim
age May 4-6. The weekend opens at 7:30
p.m. Friday, May 5, with a talk on the land
scape ecology of plants and wildlie in the
Southern Appalachians and Northern
Rocky Mountains by Scott Pearson. For more
information, call David Clarke, UNCA As
sistant Biology Professor,at (828) 232-5152.
Sports Question of the Week:
Q:Who was the last Quarterback to
win the Heisman Trophy and be
come the number one overall selec
tion in the NFL Draft?
UNCA Baseball Team to Host Western
Carolina University at McCormick Field
The UNCA baseball team will play its final home game of
the 2001 season Wednesday , May 2 at McCormick Field
beginning at 7 pm.
The Bulldogs will play the Western Carolina University
Catamounts. Cost for the game will be $4 for adults and $2
for students.
UNCA students get in for free with ID, while UNCA faculty
and staff get in for $2.
Prior to the game, the Bulldogs will honor their six seniors.
The seniors are pitcher Nick Brannon, outfielder Stephen
Hull, infielder Jeremy Manning, outfielder Corey Mercer,
catcher Brett Muhlhan and outfielder Jason Ronai.
For more information or to buy tickets, call 251 -6923.
7
. 1,’. w..
ANTHONY GRECO/
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Senior Nick Brannon throws a
pitch to the opposing team.
‘Dogs win two
against Radford
Eric Price
Sports Reporter
The UNCA baseball team won
two games in a three-game series
with the Radford University High
landers April 20 and 21 at Green
wood Field.
In the first game of a double-
header April 20, the Bulldogs played
the Highlanders for 10 innings, but
ended up losing 6-3.
In the bottom of the ninth inning,
UNCA came close to winning.
With two hits and a walk, the bases
were loaded with two outs. With
junior Curtis Moncus up to bat,
the Bulldogs figured they might
have a chance, according the UNCA
Athletic’s Website.
• However, junior Ryan Speier
struck out Moncus to end UNCA’s
chances in the ninth.
Speier pitched ten complete in
nings and allowed eight hits, three
runs, four walks, while striking out
10.
In the top of the tenth inning,
senior Tom Van Hoose hit a double
to bring in a run from second and
seal the victory for the Highland
ers.
Freshman Bobby Ryan followed
Hoose to bring in two more runs to
extend the lead to 3, the final mar
gin of victory.
However, senior pitcher Nick
Brannon helped lead the Bulldogs
to victory by shutting out the High
landers 9-0 in game two.
Brannon, who was named Big
South Player of the Week April 24,
recorded his second career shutout,
fourth consecutive victory, and tied
former teammate Jason White’s
career school record for appearances
with 77.
In his last 22.1 innings pitched,
Brannon has allowed just one earned
run.
UNCA sealed the victory with a
four-run fourth kining.
Senior catcher Brett Muhlhan
pushed the ‘Dogs lead to six runs
by knocking in two runs on a single
in the sixth inning.
In their second 10-inning game in
two days, the Bulldogs managed to
capitalize on their extra inning for
tune.
In the seventh inning, Radford
went ahead on the scoreboard
thanks to freshman Jeff Swidrack.
Swidrack hit a two-run double to
give the Highlanders a 7-5 lead.
The lead for Radford would be
short lived however. Over the
course of the next two innings,
UNCA tied the game.
In the bottom of the 10th, with
exactly the same situation as the
previous 10-inning game, the Bull
dogs would not miss their opportu
nity.
Muhlhan hit the first pitch to him
into right field to score the game-
winner for the 8-7 victory and 2-1
edge in the series.
The next and final home game for
Bulldog Baseball will be May 2 at 3
p.m.