March 22, 2006

GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Seniors Gillie Bailey and Kirstin Buchanan, playing in their first match as a nationally-ranked doubles pair, recorded an 8-2 win to help East Carolina to a 5-2 non-conference team victory over Campbell Wednesday night at the ECU Tennis Complex.

The Lady Pirates, also winners of five of their last seven matches, improved to 13-6 while the Camels fell to 10-4 this spring.

Bailey and Buchanan, who earned a No. 48 national rank Tuesday in the latest FILA/Collegiate Tennis doubles ratings, rolled past Scarlet Alfonzo and Nina Surviladze at the No. 1 spot while No. 2 and No. 3 tandems Luiza Borges/Mireia Gol and Anca Dumitru/Presley Thomas posted 8-0 and 8-3 decisions, respectively, to give ECU the doubles point and a 1-0 lead.

In singles play, the Lady Pirates took four matches in straight sets as Gol upended Surviladze (6-3, 6-4) at No. 3, Buchanan cruised past Liza Bensimon (6-1, 6-0) at No. 4, Borges defeated Anita Dajc (6-4, 6-2) at No. 5 and Thomas edged Stacey Batkiewicz (6-4, 7-6) in a sixth-seeded matchup. Campbell earned wins at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions when Alfonzo rallied past Anca Dumitru 5-7, 6-0, 6-0 and Iva Stojancev registered a 6-2, 6-2 triumph over Bailey.

East Carolina will travel to Myrtle Beach Friday for a neutral site Conference USA match against Memphis beginning at 1:00 p.m.

EAST CAROLINA 5, CAMPBELL 2
Singles Play
No. 1 - Scarlet Alfonzo (CU) def. Anca Dumitru (ECU); 5-7, 6-0, 6-0
No. 2 - Iva Stojancev (CU) def. Gillie Bailey (ECU); 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 - Mireia Gol (ECU) def. Nina Surviladze (CU); 6-3, 6-4
No. 4 - Kirstin Buchanan (ECU) def. Liza Bensimon (CU); 6-1, 6-0
No. 5 - Luiza Borges (ECU) def. Anita Dajc (CU); 6-4, 6-2
No. 6 - Presley Thomas (ECU) def. Stacey Batkiewicz (CU); 6-4, 7-6
Doubles Play
No. 1 - Bailey/Buchanan (ECU) def. Alfonzo/Surviladze (CU); 8-2
No. 2 - Borges/Gol (ECU) def. Stojancev/Bensimon (CU); 8-0
No. 3 - Dumitru/Thomas (ECU) def. Dushanova/Levitt (CU); 8-3
Team Records: Campbell (10-4), East Carolina (13-6)