April 20, 2001
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - After having their 11-match winning streak snapped earlier in the day, Western Kentucky's women's tennis team swept Louisiana Tech 7-0 in the consolation match at the Sun Belt Conference Championships in Mobile, Ala.
The Lady Toppers (14-5) took all six singles matches in straight sets from the Lady Techsters (3-19) and the two doubles matches played. Junior Nino Kostava (Ibilisi, Rep. of Georgia) won her eighth straight match and improved to 15-3 on the season defeating Tech's Lauren Longbothom 6-0, 6-4 at No. 3 singles. Sophomore Olga Kosaka (Liepaja, Latvia) also continued her nine-match winning streak with a 6-1, 6-0 defeat of Tech's Karen Bass at No. 5 singles. Kosaka improved to 12-6 on the season, with a 12-1 mark at No. 5. Both players did not finish their first-round matches against 69th-ranked Louisiana Lafayette, 5-0 loss that sent WKU to the consolation match.
With the win, the women's team completed a complete turnaround from last year's 2-17 campaign winning 12 of their last 13 matches after a 4-4 start in Jeff True's first season as coach. Louisiana Tech defeated Western 5-0 in last year's tournament consolation. All six starters will return for next season.
Western's men's team (8-8) fell to top-seeded and 9th-ranked South Alabama 6-0 earlier in the day as well. Sophomore Wimal Wijenayake (Henerson, Ky.), the only player to win a match in last year's tournament, fell 6-3, 6-4 to the Jaguars (25-2) Zlatko Stupavsky 6-3, 6-4 at No. 4 singles.
The Hilltoppers will face fourth-seeded New Orleans, a 5-1 loser to Arkansas-Little Rock, in the consolation draw Saturday at 9 a.m.
South Alabama's men are looking for theri ninth conference title in the last 10 years. The three-day event boasts seven nationally ranked teams as well as eight individuals and three doubles teams that hold national rankings.
