April 26, 2002

Second-seeded Stony Brook advanced to the America East Women's Tennis Championship semifinals with a 6-0 win over Albany at the Connecticut Tennis Center in New Haven, Conn. Stony Brook will next play third-seeded Binghamton, a 4-1 winner over Hartford in an earlier first-contest. The Seawolves and Bearcats will meet Saturday at 9 a.m. with the winner advancing to Sunday's championship match.

The Seawolves swept the three doubles matches to take a 1-0 lead in the scoring system which awards a team point to the school winning the best two-of-three doubles matches. Martha Barrett and Karen Hansen posted an 8-1 win over Violeta Petijevic and Marisa Berley in the first doubles. Patricia Gomez and Georgia Bushell were 8-2 winners over Alex Berley and Reeba Miller at second doubles. Olesya Ianovitch and Deanna Ghozati teamed for an 8-0 win over Lisa Fund and Erin Morrison in third doubles.

Stony Brook also won five of the six singles matches, earning a team point in each match.

Gomez posted a 6-2, 6-0 win over Marisa Berley at number two singles. Hansen defeated Alex Berley, 6-0, 6-1 at number three singles. Bushell downed Krista Babiarz, 6-0, 6-2 at number four singles. Ianovitch was a 6-1, 6-0 winner over Stacy Kaminski at number five singles. And Ghozati won 6-1, 6-2 at number six singles.

The other singles match between Barett and Petijevic was stopped with Barrett leading 6-4, 7-6 because the outcome of the team match had been decided.

This is the 13th annual America East Tennis Championship. Boston University has won seven-straight championships and 11 of the previous 12. Stony Brook joined America East last fall and is participating in its first tennis championship.