May 13, 2001

Edmond, Okla. - The Wake Forest women's tennis team will advance to the NCAA Team Championships in Stone Mountain, Ga. after pulling out a 4-3 victory over 15th-ranked Oklahoma State on Sunday afternoon. The Deacons, seeded 17-20 in the 64-team tournament field, downed the 16th-seeded Cowgirls by rallying to win four singles matches.

WFU freshman Aimee Smith (Norcross, Ga.) clinched the team victory by winning her No. 6 singles match in three sets. Smith dropped the first set, then found herself down 4-2 in the second before coming back to win the set in a tiebreaker. She then easily took the third set, winning the match 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-2.

Oklahoma State put the first point on the board by winning Nos. 2 and 3 doubles to capture the doubles point. The Wake duo of Bea Bielik (Valley Stream, N.Y.) and Janet Bergman (Pinehurst, N.C.), ranked No. 9 nationally, soundly defeated OSU's 28th-ranked tandem of Dolman and Maria Phillips, 8-1, at No. 1 doubles.

Wake Forest responded to its 1-0 deficit by quickly picking up wins at No. 1 and 2 singles, as Bielik, ranked fourth nationally, won 6-2, 6-2 over 45th-ranked Phillips and 19th-ranked Bergman topped Dominika Olszewska by an identical score.

The Cowgirls' Linda Fatynkova then notched a 6-1, 6-4 win over Wake's Maren Haus (Brielle, N.J.) at No. 3 singles to pull OSU even at two points apiece. Deacon senior Jackie Houston (Kings Mountain, N.C.) downed Katia Kolodynska 6-2, 6-2 at No. 4, while OSU's Kate Vasylyeva responded with a 6-2, 6-2 win of her own over WFU freshman Elizabeth Proctor (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) to turn the focus to the dual between Dolman and Smith.

The Demon Deacons improve to 18-8 on the season, and will face the nation's No. 1 team, Stanford, in the round of 16 on Thursday, May 17. The Cardinal (26-0) defeated Boston University and Mississippi in a regional held at Stanford to advance to the team championships.

#17 Wake Forest 4, #15 Oklahoma State 3
Oak Tree Country Club * Edmond, Okla.
Singles
1- #4 Bea Bielik (WF) def. #45 Maria Phillips (OS), 6-2, 6-2
2- #19 Janet Bergman (WF) def. Dominika Olszewska (OS), 6-2, 6-2
3- Linda Faltynkova (OS) def. #71 Maren Haus (WF), 6-1, 6-4
4- Jackie Houston (WF) def. Katia Kolodynska (OS), 6-2, 6-2
5- Kate Vasylyeva (OS) def. Elizabeth Proctor (WF), 6-2, 6-2
6- Aimee Smith (WF) def. Ashleigh Dolman (OS), 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-2
Doubles
1- #9 Bergman/Bielik (WF) def. #28 Phillips/Dolman (OS), 8-1
2- Faltynkova/Kolodynska (OS) def. Haus/Smith (WF), 8-5
3- Olszewska/Vasylyeva (OS) def. Houston/Proctor (WF), 8-5