Sweet Briar, Va.—The Sweet Briar tennis team hosted their first 2009 home match against Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) team Randolph-Macon College (RMC). Conditions were a perfect accompaniment to the Vixen's 5-4 win—sunny and a warm with a temperature of 75 degrees.

Doubles teams Virginia Edahl ('10/Charlotte,N.C.) and Krista Maldonado ('12/Ennis, Texas) teamed up to win handily against Randolph-Macon's Windsor Tyler and Martha Vlahakis, with a score of 8-2.

The second and third Vixen doubles teams fell to the Yellow Jackets. Stephanie Nance ('09/Moneta,Va.) and Ellen Reid('12/Germanton, N.C.) lost to RMC's team of McEwen and Geffen, 3-8. Sweet Briar sophomores Ebie Baker and Jessica Draper from Farmville, Va. were beat by the team of Thompson and Kersh, 3-8.

Down by a team score of 1-2 going into singles play, the Vixen's fought hard on each court and it got down to the wire. Vixen wins at first, third, and fifth singles leveled the match score to 4-4, with Krista Maldonado still on the court. Maldonado, who won the first set 6-3, was behind 3-4 in the second set. She stepped it up and won the next three straight games in front of her teammates and an anxious home crowd to take the win at second singles, for a Vixen victory of 5-4 over the Yellow Jacket's. Maldonado, who received ODAC "Honor Roll" recognition, remains undefeated at the second singles position.

Sweet Briar player Virginia Edahl, Feb. 23 ODAC "Player of the Week" continued her winning streak in both singles and doubles. In the past three singles matches, Virginia has given up only 12 of 49 games played, winning over 75% of her games played. Doubles results with partner Krista Maldonado are also impressive, being undefeated into the season with a winning percentage of 80%, allowing their opposition only two games per match for the spring season.

Court results are Edahl (SBC) overpowering Tyler on court 1, 6-0, 6-0; Maldonado (SBC) win on court 2; Ebie Baker (SBC) with a straight set victory over McEwen 6-1, 7-5; first-year player Ellen Reid lost at 4th singles, 6-7 (4), 3-6; at the five spot, Leslie Polaski (SBC)out-steadied Margaret Giffen 6-3, 6-4; and Randolph-Macon won on court 6 with Jade Thompson over Vixen player Willis Blair, 6-0, 6-0.

The Vixen tennis team will host ODAC team Virginia Wesleyan College tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. at the Vixen courts.

Sweet Briar Tennis
Overall: 3-0
ODAC: 1-0