Clayton State drops tough 5-4 decision against Francis Marion in PBC Women’s Tennis semifinals
Eighth-ranked Lakers battle Columbus State in third-place match on Sunday

SAVANNAH, Ga. – April 19, 2008 – In what was one of the more thrilling matches in recent years in the Peach Belt Conference Women’s Tennis Tournament, the Clayton State Lakers saw their sights on playing in the PBC Tournament championship get derailed on Saturday as the they dropped a tough 5-4 decision against Francis Marion in the tournament semifinals at Armstrong Atlantic.

Eighth-ranked Clayton State dropped to 19-3 overall, while ninth-ranked Francis Marion improved to 20-1. Clayton State will play for third place in the 2008 Peach Belt Conference on Sunday at 10 a.m. against Columbus State.

Francis Marion started the thriller by winning two of the three doubles matches in tie-breakers. Valeska Ibscher and Klara Vitkova edged Clayton State’s Katie White and Selma Hidass 9-8, including 7-4 in the tiebreak at No. 2, while the Lady Patriots’ Magda Jezovicova and Tereza Sykova won a 9-8 and 9-7 tiebreak thriller over Clayton State’s Viktoriya Semyrodenko and Allison Evans at No. 3.

Clayton State got three victories in singles in the first four matches to take the lead. White’s 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Vitkova gave the Lakers a 4-3 lead with two matches remaining. However, Francis Marion’s Ibscher defeated Clayton State’s Kristina Jonutyte 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 at No. 5, and Jezovicova knocked off the Lakers’ Veronika Jasenovcova 6-1, 6-3 at No. 6 to win it for the Lady Patriots.