Fritz Third Set Win Seals AAC Women's Tennis Title for Lady Cavs

April 22, 2006

Johnson City, TN -- -- After dropping the opening set, Audra Fritz battled back to take the next two sets and give the match-deciding win to UVa-Wise over Tennessee Wesleyan. The bout was tied, 4-4, with only the sixth singles to finish where Fritz prevailed 4-6, 7-5 and 6-3 for the Lady Cavs first Appalachian Athletic Conference title in five years.

UVa-Wise will now make its third-straight NAIA Region XII appearance and will play host to the event next Friday and Saturday. The Lady Cavs improved to a 15-4 mark on the year with the three AAC playoff wins.

The top two UVa-Wise doubles claimed wins to have take a 2-1 lead into singles action. The Lady Bulldogs tied the contest for the first time when Noel Cabrera took a tight one singles match from Davina Dishner. Autumn Lauzon put the Lady Cavs back on top for a short time with a second singles victory (6-4, 6-1) before Laura King battled hard but fell 4-6, 6-7 (3) at the third singles as the match was a deadlock, 3-3.

Nicole Pilkenton for the third time pushed UVa-Wise on top before Tennesse Wesleyan's Courtney Smith won 6-4, 6-4 over Rhyssa Philipp to make it 4-4 and set up the deciding finish at sixth singles. Fritz came back after dropping the close 6-4 opening set and tied the match, 7-5, before giving her team the title with a 6-3 final set win.

UVa-Wise started the conference playoffs by breezing past seventh-seeded Brevard College. The Lady Cavs blanked the Lady Tornados, 5-0, as they easily took all three doubles match, one singles by default and Rhyssa Philipp took the fifth singles (6-0, 6-1).

Milligan presented a little stiffer challenge in the semifinals. UVa-Wise took two of the three doubles and picked up singles victories from Autumn Lauzon, Laura King and Nicole Pilkenton to take the 5-2 win.

AAC Finals
#2 UVa-Wise 5, #4 Tennessee Wesleyan 4
Singles
1 - Noel Cabrera (T) def. Davina Dishner 7-5, 6-3
2 - Autumn Lauzon (W) def. Jamie Jones 6-4, 6-1
3 - Lina Velez (T) def. Laura King 6-4, 7-6 (3)
4 - Nicole Pilkenton (W) def. Julie Frome 6-4, 6-2
5 - Courtney Smith (T) def. Rhyssa Philipp 6-4, 6-4
6 - Audra Fritz (W) def. Jessica Robinson 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
Doubles
1 - Dishner/Lauzon (W) def. Cabrera/Jones 6-1, 6-1
2 - King/Pilkenton (W) def. Smith/Velez 6-3, 6-3
3 - Robinson/Frome (T) def. Philipp/Kyndall Wininger 6-2, 6-2

AAC Semi-Finals
#2 UVa-Wise 5, #3 Milligan 2
Singles
1 - Cassie Lomison (M) def. Davina Dishner 6-1, 6-4
2 - Autumn Lauzon (W) def. Krissi Denton 6-3, 6-4
3 - Laura King (W) def. Amber Campbell 5-7, 6-2, 6-2
4 - Nicole Pilkenton (W) def. Beth Toner 6-0, 6-2
Doubles
1 - Lomison/Denton (M) def. Dishner/Lauzon 8-5
2 - King/Pilkenton (W) def. Campbell/Sara Hopson 8-3
3 - Rhyssa Philipp/Kyndall Wiininger (W) def. Toner/Mandy Caston 8-2

AAC Semi-Finals
#2 UVa-Wise 5, #7 Brevard 0
Singles
5 - Rhyssa Philipp (W) def. Curry 6-0, 6-1
6 - Audra Fritz (W) def. Craig win by default
Doubles
1 - Davina Dishner/Autumn Lauzon (W) def. Huffaker/Cooper 8-2
2 - Laura King/Nicole Pilkenton (W) def. Curry/Williams 8-1
3 - Philipp/Kyndall Wininger (W) win by default