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TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

By TOM ZEBOLD

USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, APRIL 19, 2014 – No. 41 USF women's tennis booked a trip to the American Athletic Conference championship match with a 4-2 victory over second-seeded Memphis in Saturday's semifinals at the USF Varsity Courts.

Third-seeded USF (17-3) extended its winning streak to 14 and improved to 12-0 at home this season. The Bulls will face top-seeded Houston in Sunday's title match starting at 10 a.m. Admission is free at the USF Varsity Courts.

“It was a great win,” head coach Agustin Moreno said. “I think it's a very special team and we really deserve to win a conference championship. Hopefully we can win it in the first year like our men's soccer team did.”

Seniors Loreto Alonso-Martinez and Kayla Rizzolo set the tone for the victory by edging Marta Morga and Liza Tymchenko, 8-6, in the top doubles spot. Freshman Olaya Garrido-Rivas and senior Fanny Fracassi clinched the first point of the match by rolling past Caroline Wegner and Anki Wind, 8-3, in the No. 2 doubles position.

Alonso-Martinez continued her stellar season with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Skylar Kuykendall in the top singles spot. Freshman Olga Martinez kept the momentum on USF's side by cruising past Tymchenko, 6-1, 6-1, and Garrido-Rivas showed her toughness during a 7-5. 7-5 win over Stefanie Mikesz.

No. 39 Memphis (14-9) will find out if its season continues during the NCAA Selection Show on April 29.

Moreno said the Bulls will have to continue to step up their game to get past No. 32 Houston. The Cougars (21-4) have won each of their past six matches heading into Sunday's championship.

“Houston is a great team that's highly ranked. They're very tough,” Moreno said.

No. 3 seed USF 4, No. 2 seed Memphis 2
Match 8
April 19, 2014
Varsity Courts, Tampa, Fla. – 12 p.m. ET

Doubles:
1. Alonso-Martinez/Rizzolo (USF) def. Morga/Tymchenko (MEM): 8-6
2. Garrido-Rivas/Fracassi (USF) def. Wegner/Wind (MEM): 8-3*
3. Hibberd/Kuykendall (MEM) vs. Bessonova/Martinez (USF)

Singles:
1. Alonso-Martinez (USF) def. Kuykendall (MEM): 6-3, 6-3
2. Wegner (MEM) did not finish vs. Rizzolo (USF)
3. Garrido-Rivas (USF) def. Mikesz (MEM): 7-5, 7-5
4. Morga (MEM) def. Fracassi (USF): 6-2, 6-1
5. Wind (MEM) def. Bessonova (USF): 7-5, 6-3
6. Martinez (USF) def. Tymchenko (MEM): 6-1, 6-1

*deciding match
Match Duration: 3:45