March 13, 1999

LAS VEGAS - The 57th-ranked UNLV women's tennis team lost its seventh consecutive match, 5-4, to 36th-ranked BYU at the Fertitta Tennis Complex Saturday.

The Lady Rebels fell to 3-7 while the Cougars broke their own six-match skid to improve to 3-10.

Both teams competed without their top singles player. UNLV's No. 1, Katarina Malec, injured her ankle while practicing earlier in the day and BYU's Gee Gee Garvin also sat out.

Winning for the Lady Rebels in singles play was Marianne Bakken, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, over Tara Ferguson at the fourth position while Urska Radanovic picked up her first collegiate victory, 7-5, 6-1, over Lisel Freestone at the sixth spot.

Although BYU led 4-2 after singles, UNLV nearly came back to sweep doubles play for the win. Susie Kocsis and Marcella Valkenhoff teamed up at No. 1 to down Kim Kelly and Brooke Leavens, 8-4, while Veronica Goude and Bakken defeated Ferguson and Freestone at the third spot 8-3.

In the deciding match, BYU's Jodi Richardson and Shari Smith won the final two points to hold off Britta Gabl and Radanovic 8-6 and clinch the team victory.

The Lady Rebels host 15th-ranked South Carolina on Sunday.

WOMEN'S TENNIS RESULTSBYU 5, UNLV 4At Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las VegasMarch 13, 1999
SINGLES-1.  Jodi Richardson (BYU) def. Susie Kocsis (UNLV)      6-2, 6-22.  Brooke Leavens (BYU) def. Veronica Goude (UNLV)     6-2, 6-33.  Kim Kelly (BYU) def. Britta Gabl (UNLV)         6-3, 6-2    4.  Marianne Bakken (UNLV) def. Tara Ferguson (BYU)     7-5, 4-6, 6-2   5.  Shari Smith (BYU) def. Marcella Valkenhoff (UNLV)   6-3, 6-26.  Urska Radanovic (UNLV) def. Lisel Freestone (BYU)   7-5, 6-1   
DOUBLES-1.  Kocsis/Valkenhoff (UNLV) def. Kelly/Leavens (BYU)   8-42.  Richardson/Smith (BYU) def. Radanovic/Gabl (UNLV)   8-63.  Goude/Bakken (UNLV) def. Ferguson/Freestone (BYU)   8-3