JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Eastern Illinois men's and women's tennis each fell at Ohio Valley Conference power Jacksonville State by identical 5-2 scores on Saturday.

The Eastern women drop to 10-4 overall and earn only their second league loss to now sit at 5-2.  Meanwhile, the Panther guys now sit at an even 7-7 on the year and now own a 2-4 OVC tally.

EIU women dropped the all-important doubles point, but not before pushing the Gamecocks to the limit at the third spot in duo action.

Senior Merritt Whitley and sophomore Sephora Boulbahaiem each gutted out three-set victories at their respective No. 2 and No. 3 spot in the singles lineup to account for the Panther score.

The rest of the EIU lineup would fall in straight sets, except for Jennifer Kim, who picked up a first set win at No. 4 action before coming up short in a three-set affair to her respective JSU opponent.

For the guys, Eastern clawed past the host team with identical 9-8 duo wins at both the top and bottom portion of the doubles slate.

Unfortunately, Volodymyr Zverkovsky would tally the lone singles victory thanks to a straight set No. 6 win.

However, Michael Sperry and Rui Silva would end up falling in three-set nailbiters at the top of the lineup and at No. 4, respectively.

The Panther men will finish up the regular-season road portion of the 2013 slate, traveling to Tennessee Tech for a Sunday afternoon match versus the Golden Eagles.

JSU Men 5, EIU Men 2
April 6, 2013 in Jacksonville, Ala.
JSU Tennis Courts

Singles
1. Igor Santos (JSU) def. Michael Sperry (EIU) - 6-4, 5-7, 6-1
2. Axel Sundberg (JSU) def. Warren Race (EIU) - 7-5, 7-5
3. Nenad Marcec (JSU) def. Robert Skolik (EIU) - 6-1, 6-1
4. Felipe Diaz (JSU) def. Rui Silva (EIU) - 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
5. Felipe Wenzel (JSU) def. Kevin Bauman (EIU) - 7-5, 6-2
6. Volodymy Zverkovsky (EIU) def. Felipe Watanabe (JSU) - 6-3, 6-0

Doubles
1. Race/Sperry (EIU) def. Marcec/Sunberg (JSU) - 9-8 (9-7)
2. Santos/Wenzel (JSU) def. Skolik/Bauman (EIU) - 8-1
3. David Constantinescu/Silva (EIU) def. Watanabe/Diaz (JSU) - 9-8 (8-6)

Match Notes:
Eastern Illinois ... 7-7 (2-4 OVC)
Jacksonville State ... 8-11 (4-2 OVC)
... Ohio Valley Conference contest

......

JSU Women 5, EIU Women 2
April 6, 2013 in Jacksonville, Ala.
JSU Tennis Courts

Singles
1. Raisa Guasti (JSU) def. Janelle Prisner (EIU) - 6-1, 6-3
2. Merritt Whitley (EIU) def. Raphaela Lima (JSU) - 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
3. Sephora Boulbahaiem (EIU) def. Olivia Nguyen (JSU) - 7-6 (7-1), 5-7, 10-6
4. Zoe Bizinos (JSU) def. Jennifer Kim (EIU) - 3-6, 7-5, 10-6
5. Danielle Kerindi (JSU) def. Ali Foster (EIU) - 7-5, 6-4
6. Kelly Tomlin (JSU) def. Kristen Laird (EIU) - 6-3, 6-1

Doubles
1. Guasti/Lima (JSU) def. Prisner/Whitley (EIU) - 8-4
2. Aleksandra Cmilijic/Nguyen (JSU) def. Boulbahaiem/Hannah Kimbrough (EIU) - 8-5
3. Foster/Laird (EIU) def. Bizinos/Kerindi (JSU) - 8-7 (7-4)

Match Notes:
Eastern Illinois ... 10-4 (5-2 OVC)
Jacksonville State  ... 10-10 (5-2 OVC)
... Ohio Valley Conference contest

... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID