NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Eastern Illinois tennis ended their late-season run by dropping a first round contest to Austin Peay on Thursday to open Ohio Valley Conference Championship action.  The Panthers fell, 4-2, to end the season at 9-11 overall.

The match got off to a hot start as the doubles point came down to the wire as both teams picked up respective wins at No. 2 and No. 3 duos, with the No. 1 bout to decide the all-important doubles point.

Down 4-1 to start the match, the All-OVC First Team duo of Merritt Whitley and Janelle Prisner clawed back to tie the match at 6-6, 7-7, 8-8, but dropped the 9-8 contest off a 7-2 tiebreaker.

In singles, after losing at No. 4 doubles, the Panthers knotted the score at 2-2 as SEphora Boulbaheim and Kristin Laird each picked up straight set wins of 6-4, 6-2 and 6-3, 6-2.

Unfortunately for the Eastern squad, that would be the last points earned as the Lady Govs (9-14) earned wins at No. 2 and No.3 in consecutive sets to advance to the semi-final round to play No. 1 seeded Eastern Kentucky on Saturday.

EIU will return five players from this season's crew, with seniors Shannon Brooks, Amanda Dibbs and Annie Egan ending their fine Panther campaigns.

Key returners for Eastern for 2012-13 include both Whitley and Prisner, as each garnered First Team All-OVC honors this season, the first such Panther honor in nearly four years.

#4-Austin Peay vs. #5-Eastern Illinois
Thursday, April 20, 2012
Nashville, Tenn.
(Centennial Sportsplex Tennis Centers)

APSU Women 4, EIU Women 2
Singles
1. Vanja Tomic (APSU) vs. Janelle Prisner (EIU) - 6-3, 4-2, unfinished
2. Orenella DiSalvo (APSU) def. Merritt Whitley (EIU) - 6-2, 6-2
3. Alison Carre (APSU) def. Amanda Dibbs (EIU) - 6-2, 6-1
4. Andra Cornea (APSU) def. Jennifer Kim (EIU) - 6-3, 6-1
5. Sephora Boulbahaiem (EIU) def. Vanessa Tavares (APSU) - 6-4, 6-2
6. Kristen Laird (EIU) def. Jovana Karac (APSU) - 6-3, 6-2
Doubles
1. Tomic/Carre (APSU) def. Prisner/Whitley (EIU) - 9-8 (7-2)
2. DiSalvo/Cornea (APSU) def. Boulbahaiem/Laird (EIU) - 8-3
3. Dibbs/Egan (EIU) def. Tavares/Karac (APSU) - 8-6

Match Notes:
Eastern Illinois 9-11 (season complete)
Austin Peay 9-14

Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (4,6,5,3,2)
2012 OVC Women's Tennis Championship ... First Round ... Match #2

T-3:20 A-86

... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID