Jan. 16, 2009

HOUSTON - The Lamar University women's tennis team opened the 2009 season in with a 7-0 loss to long time rival Rice at the Jack Hess Tennis Center in Houston, Texas Friday afternoon.

The Owls opened the match by claiming the doubles point as the won at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles. The Lamar pair of Manijee Ashrafi and Manami Kuroda picked up the only win for the Lady Cardinals, taking out the Owl tandem of Alex Rasch and Rebecca Lin 8-6 at No. 2 doubles. Mariaryeni Gutierrez and Maria Gutierrez fell 8-3 to Julie Chao and Ana Guzman at No. 1 while Constanza Gonzalez and Carla Nava dropped an 8-0 decision to Jessica Jackson and Varsha Shiva-Shankar at No. 3.

In singles play the Owls claimed all six matches to post the 7-0 season opening win. Mariaryeni Gutierrez lost the first regular season contest of her career, falling to Chao 4-6, 6-3, 10-0 at No. 1, while Maria Gutierrez dropped a three set decision to Guzman, falling 6-7, 6-2, 10-6 at No. 2.

In the match at No. 3 singles Jessica Jackson dropped Ashrafi 6-2, 6-3, Nava fell 6-3, 6-2 to Lin at No. 4, Kuroda lost 6-2, 6-0 to Shiva-Shankar at No. 5 and Gonzalez was handed a 6-1, 6-0 loss by Emily Baird at No. 6.

The Lady Cardinals will be back in action on Saturday, January 31 when they take on Arkansas State in Jonesboro, Ark.