April 14, 2005
ORLANDO - The top-seeded UCF women's tennis team takes its first step toward trying to capture the 2005 Atlantic Sun Conference title when the Golden Knights (10-7, 4-0 A-Sun) take on No. 8 Mercer (6-11) at 9 a.m. on Friday in DeLand.
It's a good match-up for the Knights, who are currently ranked No. 66 nationally by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). During UCF's 7-0 victory over the Bears in Macon, Ga. on March 5, none of the Golden Knights dropped more than a combined three games in their two-set victories. They now hold a 4-1 advantage over Mercer in the all-time series.
UCF enters the weekend having won eight of its last nine matches. Individually, senior co-captain and two-time A-Sun Player of the Week Kristina Lohmos has a similar streak after winning eight of her last nine outings, most at the No. 1 position. Junior co-captain Pamela Fernandez has also played well and boasts one of the team's best records in singles at 15-8. The Knights have enjoyed success at the bottom of the lineup as well thanks to the play of sophomore Megan Hunter and freshman Anna Yakimchenkova.
The Golden Knights have won five Atlantic Sun Championships, the most recent in 2002. They advanced to the final in 2004, where they lost 4-2 to Troy.
Should UCF defeat Mercer, the team will meet the winner of the No. 4 Florida Atlantic/No. 5 Jacksonville match in the first semifinal at 9 a.m. on Saturday.