May 12, 2001

Edmond, Okla. - The Wake Forest women's tennis team won its first-round match in the NCAA Tournament with a decisive 4-0 shutout of Illinois State on Saturday. The Deacons, seeded 17-20 in the 64-team tournament field, are playing in a regional hosted by Oklahoma State at the Oak Tree Country Club.

Wake Forest got on the board early by capturing the doubles point. The Deacon duo of Bea Bielik (Valley Stream, N.Y.) and Janet Bergman (Pinehurst, N.C.), ranked No. 9 nationally, defeated Illinois State's No. 1 doubles team of Alesia Mikalayeva and Liina Suurvarik, 8-2. At No. 2, Wake's Maren Haus (Brielle, N.J.) and Aimee Smith (Norcross, Ga.) defeated the Redbird duo of Alana Hoffman and Zana Friganovic, also by an 8-2 score. The third doubles match was tied, 6-6, when the point was decided and was left unfinished.

"When we win the doubles point we are undefeated this year," Wake Forest head coach Brian Fleishman said. "When we don't do that, we run into trouble because we don't have the extra momentum and confidence. That was the determining factor for us."

Wake Forest took the momentum into singles, needing only three points to win the match. At No. 1, Bielik, the No. 4 singles player in the nation, topped Mikalayeva, 6-3, 6-0. Haus beat Friganovic at the No. 3 spot, 6-3, 6-3 while Smith had little trouble with ISU's Brigette Zarazee, winning 6-1, 6-1 at No. 6 singles.

The Demon Deacons improve to 17-8 on the season, and play a second-round match against either Oklahoma State or Oral Roberts on Sunday, May 13 at 3:00 p.m. The winner of that match will advance, along with the other 15 regional winners, to the NCAA team championship in Stone Mountain, Ga. from May 17-20.

#17 Wake Forest 4, #63 Illinois State 0
Oak Tree Country Club * Edmond, Okla.
Singles
1- #4 Bea Bielik (WF) def. Alesia Mikalayeva (IS), 6-3, 6-0
2- #19 Janet Bergman (WF) v. Liina Suurvarik (IS), susp.
3- #71 Maren Haus (WF) def. Zana Friganovic (IS), 6-3, 6-3
4- Jackie Houston (WF) v. Elizabeth Bingier (IS), susp.
5- Elizabeth Proctor (WF) v. Shelby Lipson (IS), susp.
6- Aimee Smith (WF) def. Brigett Zarazee (IS), 6-1, 6-1

Doubles
1- #9 Bergman/Bielik (WF) def. Mikalayeva/Suurvarik (IS), 8-2
2- Haus/Smith (WF) def. Alana Hoffman/Friganovic (IS), 8-2
3- Houston/Proctor (WF) v. Lipson/Zarazee (IS), susp.