March 7, 2002

NEWARK, Del. (www.lafayette.edu) - The Leopards women's tennis team opened the spring season with a hard-fought 4-3 win over Delaware on Thursday in Newark, Del.

Junior Lily Fardishisheh (Potomac, Md./Holton Arms) came back to defeat Delaware's Elly Giese in three sets, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 at No. 1 singles. Teammate Shannon Rowe (Winchester, Mass./Winchester) also fought hard to beat her Delaware counterpart in straight sets, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (4) at No. 3 singles. The co-captains teamed up for No. 1 doubles in an 8-6 win over Giese and Jessica Wilkes.

Sophomore Lisa Sayed (Ann Arbor, Mich./Ann Arbor Huron) competed at No. 6 singles and came away with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 win over Julia Shapiro.

Monika Serrano (Caracas, Venezuela/Wallenpaupak) fell to Delaware's Wilkes in a close match at No. 2 singles, 7-6 (0), 6-4, while Ali Kelley (Little Silver, N.J./Red Bank Catholic) and Lisa Sayed (Ann Arbor, Mich./Ann Arbor Huron) also fell at No. 4 and No. 5 singles.

Serrano/Kelley and Abel/Sayed each picked up wins at the No. 2 and 3 doubles spots.

Lafayette (7-1) returns to action on Tuesday in the Leopards' Patriot League opener at Lehigh at 3:30.

Singles:
Rank    Player                      Player                  Score#1      Lily Fardishisheh (LC)  def.    Elly Giese (UD)         3-6, 6-4, 6-3#2      Jessica Wilkes (UD)     def.    Monika Serrano (LC)     7-6 (0), 6-4#3      Shannon Rowe (LC)       def.    Anisha Telati (UD)      7-6 (7), 7-6 (4)#4      Christine Knox (UD)     def.    Ali Kelley (LC)         6-4, 5-7, 6-4#5      Beth Principe (UD)      def.    Jessica Abel (LC)       7-5, 6-4#6      Lisa Sayed (LC)         def.    Julia Shapiro (UD)      6-2, 4-6, 6-1
Doubles:
#1      Fardishisheh/Rowe (LC)  def.    Geise/Wilkes (UD)   8-6#2      Serrano/Kelley (LC) def.    Telati/Principe (UD)    8-3#3      Abel/Sayed (LC)         def.    Knox/Shapiro (UD)   8-1