May 25, 1998

NOTRE DAME, Ind. -- Freshman Cristina Popescu was the only one of UCLA's three singles entrants to advance through first round action at the NCAA Individual Championships played at the University of Notre Dame today. Upset in first round action were sophomores Elizabeth Schmidt and Annica Cooper, who was seeded No. 6 in the tournament.

Named the ITA's West Region Rookie of the Year and West Region Player to Watch yesterday, Popescu got off to a slow start today dropping the first set 2-6 to Christie Sim of Kansas. However, the gutsy freshman came back to claim the second set 6-3 then took control in the third to post a 6-1 victory. Currently ranked No. 32 in the nation, Popescu improved her overall record to 21-11 and now advances to meet the tournament's top-seed Mirela Vladulescu of the University of Alabama-Birmingham at 9 a.m. tomorrow (Tue, May 26). Vladulescu also needed three sets to get by her first round opponent, Julie Ditty of Vanderbilt, 2-6, 7-6(3), 6-3.

Schmidt looked in control at the start of the day as she won the first set over Lule Aydin of Wake Forest 6-1. The second set was much closer as Aydin prevailed 7-5, breaking Schmidt's serve in the final game of the set. Schmidt broke right back to start the final set, but could not hold serve the next three times and fell behind 1-5. Schmidt came through with another break then held serve to close to 3-5, before Aydin served out for the 6-3 win. This loss for Schmidt marks the first time all season that she did not win after claiming the opening set, giving her a 17-1 record in matches in which she won the first set. Schmidt finishes the season with a 20-21 overall record and is ranked No. 60 in the most recent ITA national rankings.

The surprise of the morning came in the 10:30 match where Cooper became the second seeded player in the tournament to be eliminated in the opening round. No. 8 seed Lauren Nikolaus of William & Mary was the first seeded player to fall as she lost 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 to Anoushika Van Exel of Tulsa in a 9 a.m. match. Cooper started strong posting a 6-2 win over Miami's Lioudmila Skavronskaia in the first set, however the big freshman from Russia battled back to claim the second set 6-3. In the decisive set, Skavronskaia was impressive as she broke Cooper's serve in the fourth game and never looked back as she cruised to the 6-1 victory. Cooper finishes the season 33-14 overall and is currently ranked No. 9 in the ITA national rankings.

Here are today's NCAA first round singles results involving UCLA players:
(Rank) Name (School) -- score

(32)Cristina Popescu (UCLA) def. (35)Christie Sim (Kansas) -- 2-6, 6-3, 6-1

(t66)Lule Aydin (Wake Forest) def. (60)Elizabeth Schmidt (UCLA) -- 1-6, 7-5, 6-3

(40)Lioudmila Skavronskaia (Miami-Fla.) def. No. 6 seed (9)Annica Cooper (UCLA) -- 2-6, 6-3, 6-1

1998 NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championship

All matches listed in bracket form
All time based on outside play

Singles Tournament

Monday, May 25, 1998

First Round

(#1 seed) Mirela Vladulescu (Alabama-Birmingham) def. Julie Ditty (Vanderbilt), 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3
Cristina Popescu (UCLA) def. Christie Sim (Kansas), 2-6, 6-3, 6-1
(#9-12 seed) Vanessa Castellano (Georgia) def. Esther Knox (California), 7-5, 1-6, 6-3
Stephanie Nickitas (Florida) def. Eline Chiew (BYU), 6-3, 7-5
Anooushlka Van Exel (Tulsa) def. (#8 seed) Lauren Nikolaus (William & Mary), 6-1, 4-6, 6-2
Angela Lawrence (Pepperdine) def. Dora Djilianova (Fresno State), 6-4, 7-5
(#9-16 seed) Julie Scott (Stanford) def. Elisa Penalvo (Marquette), 2-6, 6-3, 6-0
Kristi Dascoli (Ohio State) def. Ivy Wang (Harvard), 6-1, 6-3
(#4 seed) Vanessa Webb (Duke) def. Ivona Mihailova (Mississippi), 6-1, 6-2
Jing Chen (Long Beach State) def. Ditta Huber (USC), 6-3, 6-3
(#9-16 seed) Reka Cseresnyes (Arizona State) def. Manisha Malhotra (Tennessee), 7-5, 3-6, 6-3
M.C. White (Florida) def. Tanja Magoc (Texas-El Paso), 0-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7)
Teryn Ashley (Stanford) def. (#5 seed) Sandy Sureephong (Texas), 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
Barbara Urbanska (Wisconsin) def. Jennifer Hall (Notre Dame), 6-3, 6-3
Yana Dorodnova (Kansas State) def. (#9-16 seed) Vicky Maes, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
Katherine Nasser (Northwestern) def. Maria Pavlidou (Arkansas), 2-6, 6-0, 6-4
Ana Blesyznski (Stanford) def. Karoline Borgersen (Pepperdine), 6-1, 6-2
(#9-16 seed) Cristina Moros (Texas) def. Alina Wyganoska (Oregon), 6-3, 6-0
Jackie Boyd (USC) def. Aarthi Venkatesan (Georgia), 3-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5
(#7 seed) Holly Parkinson (BYU) def. Raluca Gheorge (Oklahoma), 6-2, 7-6 (6)
Martina Nedalkoda (Virginia Commonwealth) def. Alicia Kerstyn (South Florida), 6-1, 7-5
(#9-16 seed) Agnes Muzamel (Mississippi) def. Anna Svedenhov (Utah), 6-1, 6-1
Lule Aydin (Wake Forest) def. Elizabeth Schmidt (UCLA), 1-6, 7-5, 6-3
(#3 seed) Amanda Augustus (California) def. Romana Tedjakusuma (Nicholls State), 6-2, 6-2
Michelle O (William & Mary) def. Michelle Dasso (Notre Dame), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
Kristin Sanderson (Duke) vs. (#9-16 seed) Kristina Kraszewski (Washington), 12:00 p.m.
Zsofia Csapo (Pepperdine) def. Veronica Safarova (USC), 6-2, 6-1
Lioudmila Skavronskaia (Miami) def. (#6 seed) Annica Cooper (UCLA), 2-6, 6-3, 6-1
Zana Zlebnik (Texas Tech) def. Karin Palme (Arizona State), 6-4, 6-1
Kylie Hunt (Kansas) def. (#9-16 seed) Dawn Buth (Florida), 7-6 (3), 6-4
Betsy Miringoff (Arizona) def. Ana Friganovic (New Mexico), 6-2, 6-2
Zuzana Lesenarova (San Diego) def. (#2 seed) Anne Kremer (Stanford), 6-4, 3-6, 7-5

Tuesday, May 26, 1998

Second Round

(#1 seed) Mirela Vladulescu (Alabama-Birmingham) vs. Cristina Popescu (UCLA), 9:00 a.m.
(#9-12 seed) Vanessa Castellano (Georgia) vs. Stephanie Nickitas (Florida), 9:00 a.m.
Anooushlka Van Exel (Tulsa) def. Angela Lawrence (Pepperdine), 9:00 a.m.
(#9-16 seed) Julie Scott (Stanford) vs. Kristi Dascoli (Ohio State), 9:00 a.m.
(#4 seed) Vanessa Webb (Duke) vs. Jing Chen (Long Beach State), 10:30 a.m.
(#9-16 seed) Reka Cseresnyes (Arizona State) vs. M.C. White (Florida), 10:30 a.m. Teryn Ashley (Stanford) vs. Barbara Urbanska (Wisconsin), 9:00 a.m.
Yana Dorodnova (Kansas State) vs. Katherine Nasser (Northwestern), 9:00 a.m.
Ana Blesyznski (Stanford) vs. (#9-16 seed) Cristina Moros (Texas), 10:30 a.m.
Jackie Boyd (USC) vs. (#7 seed) Holly Parkinson (BYU), 10:30 a.m.
Martina Nedalkoda (Virginia Commonwealth) vs. (#9-16 seed) Agnes Muzamel (Mississippi), 9:00 a.m.
Lule Aydin (Wake Forest) vs. (#3 seed) Amanda Augustus (California), 9:00 a.m.
Michelle O (William & Mary) vs. Kristin Sanderson (Duke) or (#9-16 seed) Kristina Kraszewski, (Washington), 10:30 a.m.
Zsofia Csapo (Pepperdine) vs. Lioudmila Skavronskaia (Miami), 10:30 a.m.
Zana Zlebnik (Texas Tech) vs. Kylie Hunt (Kansas), 9:00 a.m.
Betsy Miringoff (Arizona) vs. Zuzana Lesenarova (San Diego), 9:00 a.m.