CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- Eastern Illinois men's and women's tennis squads split road Ohio Valley Conference play at league rival Austin Peay on Saturday (March 29) afternoon, as the Panther women won, but the EIU men lost by identical 5-2 scores.

The win improve the Panther women to 8-2 overall and an even 2-2 in conference action, while the EIU men drop to 5-7 and 2-3, respectively.

After earning the all-important doubles point with relative ease, the Panther women picked up four consecutive singles wins in straight sets for the margin of victory.

The duos of Ali Foster/Hannah Kimbrough and Kelly Iden/Kamile Stadalninkaite picked up respective 8-3 and 8-2 wins at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles to get the Panthers on the board, as the No. 1 match ended early due to the point already having been earned by the Panthers.

Then in singles, Foster, Sephora Boulbaheim and Iden all nabbed consecutive set wins at No. 4, No. 2 and No. 3 action, respectively, while senior Janelle Prisner earned a hard-fought 7-6, 7-5 victory at the top of the lineup for the final EIU team point.

With her win, Foster moves to 9-1 overall and 3-1 in OVC action with her No. 4 win, while Iden improves to 7-3 and an even 2-2 in conference with her No. 2 bout victory.

For the guys, the teams of Kevin Bauman/Robert Skolik and Moritz Kandt/Grant Thompson both gutted out tough 8-6 and 8-7 victories at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles to give EIU the early 1-0 match advantage, but the host squad would pick three consecutive singles wins.

Bauman then added to his win tally as he improved to 8-4 overall and 4-1 in league action thanks to identical 6-1 wins at the No. 6 spot.

The match would ultimately come down to the No. 4 bout as sophomore Robert Skolik battled his opponent for over three hours before falling in a 7-6 third set tiebreaker.

"We fought extremely hard today," said associate tennis director/men's coach Eric Stark.  "We battled everywhere and it started with doubles.  Rob and Kevin did an unbelievable job today, down 2-6 but never once did they give anything away and raised their game to the next level to nab the win.

"Also proud of the singles effort by everyone, as Rob's match was one of the best college matches I have witnessed this year.  He left everything out there and that's all I can ask of these men.  We have to refocus and come out tomorrow with the same kind of energy showed today."

Both Eastern units will finish up the road portion of the schedule tomorrow afternoon, as the Panthers head to Murray State for dual meet, which has been moved back to an 11 a.m. start.

EIU Men at APSU Men
Mar. 29, 2014 at Clarksville, Tenn..
(Governor's Tennis Center)

Austin Peay 5, Eastern Illinois 2

Singles
1. Jasmin Ademovic (APSU) def. Moritz Kandt (EIU) - 6-2, 6-2
2. Dimitar Ristovski (APSU) def. Grant Thompson (EIU) - 7-5, 6-2
3. Aleksas Tverijonas (APSU) def. Ryan Henderson (EIU) - 7-5, 6-3
4. Iago Seffrin (APSU) def. Robert Skolik (EIU) - 6-2, 3-6, 7-6
5. James Mitchell (APSU) def. Rui Silva (EIU) - 7-5, 6-2
6. Kevin Bauman (EIU) def. Manuel Montenegro (APSU) - 6-1, 6-1

Doubles
1. Bauman/Skolik (EIU) def. Ademovic/Tverijonas (APSU) - 8-6
2. Seffrin/Ristovski (APSU) vs. Silva/Henderson (EIU) - 7-6, unfinished
3. Kandt/Thompson (EIU) def. Evan Borowski/Montenegro (APSU) - 8-7

Match Notes:
Eastern Illinois 5-7 (2-3 OVC)
Austin Peay 8-5 (3-2 OVC)

Order of finish: Doubles (3,1*) ... Singles (1,2,3,6,4*,5)

EIU Women at APSU Women
Mar. 29, 2014 at Clarksville, Tenn..
(Governor's Tennis Center)

Eastern Illinois 5, Austin Peay 2

Singles
1. Janelle Prisner (EIU) def. Ornella Di Salvo (APSU) - 7-6, 7-5
2. Sephora Boulbahaiem (EIU) def. Andra Cornea (APSU) - 6-0, 6-2
3. Kelly Iden (EIU) def. Vanessa Tavares (APSU) - 6-4, 6-1
4. Ali Foster (EIU) def. Jovana Karac (APSU) - 6-4, 6-1
5. Hannah Tatlock (APSU) def. Hannah Kimbrough (EIU) - 8-5
6. Isabela Jovanovic (APSU) def. Kamile Stadalninkaite (EIU) - 8-4

Doubles
1. Cornea/DiSalvo (APSU) vs. Prisner/Boulbahaiem (EIU) - 4-5, unfinished
2. Foster/Kimbrough (EIU) def. Karac/Jovanovic (APSU) - 8-3
3. Iden/Stadlaninkaite (EIU) def. Tatlock/Tavares (APSU) - 8-2

Match Notes:
Eastern Illinois 8-2 (2-2 OVC)
Austin Peay 5-9 (2-3 OVC)

Order of finish: Doubles (3,2*) ... Singles (4,2,3*,1,5,6)

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