(February 25, 2006) Tampa, Fla. ? With the match tied 3-3, Kentucky's Carolina Escomilla overcame two match points to beat USF's Iciri Rai 6-7, 7-6, 6-2 to give the 30th ranked Wildcats a 4-3 win over the 44th ranked Bulls today at the USF Varsity Courts.

After losing the doubles point, USF stormed back with straight set wins at numbers two, three and four singles to get back in the match. Rai had a 5-3 lead in the second set, but after losing on Escomilla's serve to make it 5-4, she failed to score a point on her own serve and it was 5-5. Rai broke serve right back in a love game and then had two match points at 6-5, only to lose serve again before losing the tiebreaker.

USF returns to action Sunday at 11 a.m. against St. John's.

NCAA WOMEN's TENNIS
KENTUCKY (#30) AT USF (#44)
FEBRUARY 25, 2006
USF VARSITY TENNIS COURTS
TAMPA, FLA.

DOUBLES
#1 Coventry-Escamilla (UK) def. Etienne-Duch (USF) 8-6
#2 Schwenk-Maurer (UK) def. Rai-Cruz (USF) 8-3
#3 Petrisko-Caroline Winebrenner (UK) def. Vernon-Obando (USF) 8-3

SINGLES
#1 Kim Coventry (UK) def. Neyssa Etienne (USF) 6-1, 6-2
#2 Courtney Vernon (USF) def. Lara Maurer (UK) 6-3, 6-2
#3 Liz Cruz (USF) def. Joelle Schwenk (UK) 6-1, 6-4
#4 Gabriela Duch (USF) def. Danielle Petrisko (UK) 6-2, 7-5
#5 Carolina Escomilla (UK) def. Iciri Rai (USF)   6-7, 7-6, 6-2
#6 Jessica Giuggilo (UK) def. Luisa Obando (USF) 6-4, 6-0

Order of finish: 1, 2, 4, 3, 6, 5
Team Records: