Oct. 19, 2004

MORGANTOWN, WVa. -- George Mason junior Andreea Fusea (Washington, D.C.) captured the Flight A women's singles tennis title at the Martha Thorn Invitational, held at West Virginia University this past weekend. It is her second straight singles title this season in as many events, and the transfer from Maryland is currently undefeated at 7-0 in singles play.

Fusea, who received a bye into the quarterfinal round, throttled her opponent, Jill Williams of Pittsburgh, 10-0 to advance to the semis. Fusea then dispatched West Virginia's Natalia Prinz and No. 1 seed Monica Lyskawa, 10-6 in the semis and 10-7 in the finals, respectively, to win the individual title.

Also in Flight A was Patriot sophomore Maricel Ballester (Lima, Peru), who dropped a 10-7 first round decision to Prinz, and junior Jenn Dektas (Maineville, Ohio). Dektas lost to Lyskawa, 10-4 in the quarterfinals.

Mason sophomore Melissa Wooten (Chesapeake, Va.) and seniors Katie Sloper (Alexandria, Va.) and Jamie Delorie (McMurray, Pa.) competed in Flight B. Wooten and Sloper each dropped first round matches, while Delorie won her contest, 10-7, over Villanova's Lindsey Puchar. Leah Friedman of Pittsburgh topped Delorie, 10-4, in the quarters.

Jacqueline Sherbondy and Bridget Borley competed for Mason in Flight C. Sherbondy earned a first round 10-3 win over Mount St. Mary's Alicia Paterson, but fell in the quarterfinals, 10-1, to WVU's Stacey Percival. Borley dropped a close 10-8 first round match to Amanda Wilhelm of Loyola.

In doubles action, Dektas and Delorie fell to Raynie Theis and Percival, 8-3, in a Flight A quarterfinal match. Fusea and Ballester fared better in the Flight, posting a first round 8-2 decision against Williams and Hughes of Pittsburgh, before bowing out in the semis to WVU's Prinz and Kelly Walsh by a close score of 9-7.

Borley and Sherbondy, who teamed up in Flight B doubles, won their first round match 8-6 over a duo from Mount St. Mary's. The tandem dropped their semifinal match, 8-2, to the team from Pittsburgh. Sloper and Wooten fell to Villanova in a tiebreak, 9-8(3).

The Patriot women are in action again this weekend, Friday-Sunday, Oct. 22-24, at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Regional Championships, being held at the University of Pennsylvania.

MARTHA THORN INVITATIONAL, Oct. 15-17, 2004, West Virginia University
Flight A Singles
First Round:	Jenn Dektas (GM) d. Leighann Reilly (Vill), WD;
Natalia Prinz (WVU) d. Maricel Ballester (GM), 10-7
Quarters:	Andreea Fusea (GM) d. Jill Williams (Pitt), 10-0;
		Monica Lyskawa (WVU) d. Dektas (GM), 10-4
Semis:		Fusea (GM) d. Prinz (WVU), 10-6
Finals:		Fusea (GM) d. Lyskawa (WVU), 10-7

Flight B Singles
First Round:	Whitney Edmonds (MSM) d. Melissa Wooten (GM), 10-2
		Emily Hughes (Pitt) d. Katie Sloper (GM), 10-1
		Jamie Delorie (GM) d. Lindsey Puchar (Vill), 10-7
Quarters:	Leah Friedman (Pitt) d. Delorie (GM), 10-4

Flight C Singles
First Round:	Jacqueline Sherbondy (GM) d. Alicia Paterson (MSM), 10-3
		Amanda Wilhelm (LC) d. Bridget Borley (GM), 10-8
Quarters:	Stacey Percival (WVU) d. Sherbondy (GM), 10-1

Flight A Doubles
Quarters:	Raynie Theis/Stacey Percival (WVU) d. Jenn Dektas/Jamie Delorie (GM), 8-3
		Andrea Fusea/Maricel Ballester (GM) d. Jill Williams/Emily Hughes (Pitt), 8-2
Semis:		Natalia Prinz/Kelly Walsh (WVU) d. Fusea/Ballester (GM), 9-7

Flight B Doubles
Quarters:	Bridget Borley/Jacqueline Sherbondy (GM) d. Ashley Wentzel/Alicia Paterson (MSM), 8-6
		Courtney Flezzani/Katie Fleszar (Vill) d. Katie Sloper/Melissa Wooten (GM), 9-8(3)
Semis:		Carlie Smith/Sotera Gacad-Cowen (Pitt) d. Borley/Sherbondy (GM), 8-2