DePaul University

FT. WORTH, Texas – The DePaul women’s tennis team bounced back after a tough loss on Friday and posted a pair of victories to take home fifth place at the annual Conference USA Championships.

The finish was DePaul’s highest since 2000 and the final record of 20-8 marked the first time in program’s history that the Blue Demons reached the 20-win mark.

“I was very proud of the team to bounce back after a very tough loss on Friday,” DePaul head coach Mark Ardizzone said. “It was a really great year for our team.  We had 20 wins for the first time in our programs history while Marina (Parashkevova) and Bea (Csordas) had the greatest doubles season ever as well.

“Two of our freshmen Bea and Bojana (Murisic) won over 25 singles matches in there first collegiate season while Marina will go down as one of the top players in the programs history. She is easily one of the best doubles players to ever play here and we’ll miss her a lot,” Ardizzone said. “We have a very solid nucleus returning for next year and are very excited for the challenges ahead in the Big East.”

The Blue Demons defeated East Carolina, 4-1, in the consolation round on Saturday morning.

DePaul jumped out early capturing the doubles point as teams of Gergana Ganeva and Anja Mihaldinec defeated Mireia Gol and Luiza Borger, 8-6, and Petra Reuhosova and Bojana Murisic defeated the Pirate duo of Raluca Baicu and Alex Smith, 8-3. East Carolina won at the No. 1 spot as Kirstin Buchanan and Gillie Bailey defeated Csordas and Parashkevova, 8-6, despite falling 0-1 entering singles play.

DePaul took the top two singles wins as Csordas beat Gol, 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 and Gergana Ganeva beat Buchanan 6-1, 6-1 at No. 2. Despite Pirate's Baicu beating Brenda Leung, 6-1, 6-4, the Blue Demons advanced in the consolations with another win at the No. 6 spot. For that victory, DPU's Mihaldinec beat Hannah Priest, 6-2, 6-2.

After sweeping the doubles, the Blue Demons went on to beat UAB 4-1 Sunday to clinch fifth place.
For the doubles sweep, Csordas and Parashkevova teammed up to defeat UAB's Gulsah Esen and Ornischa Maier-Knappp, 8-3, while Ganeva and Mihaldinec beat Annemieke Elsholz and Julievon Samson at the No. 2 spot, 8-2. Also to go ahead 1-0, Petra Rehusova and Murisic defeated Samrin Tanzeem and Jana Wild, 8-4 at the three position.

The Blue Demons grabbed wins at the top three points to clinch the 4-1 victory. At one, Csordas defeated Esen, 6-1, 6-4, while Rehusova beat von Samson, 6-4, 6-4. At two, DPU's Ganeva and Maier-Knapp split sets; however, Ganeva came back to win 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

(5) DePaul def. (9) East Carolina, 4-1- Consolation

Singles

1. Beatrix Csordas, DPU def. Mireia Gol, ECU, 6-2, 6-2

2. Marina Parashkevova, DPU def. Kirstin Buchanan, ECU, 6-1, 6-1

3. Petra Rehusova, ECU def. Gergana Ganeva, DPU, DNF (6-4, 2-6)

4. Raluca Baicu, ECU def. Brenda Leung, DPU, 6-1, 6-4

5. Luiza Borges, ECU vs. Bojana Murisic, DPU, DNF (6-3, 5-5)

6. Anja Mihaldinec, DPU def. Hannah Priest, ECU, 6-2, 6-2

Doubles

1. Kirstin Buchanan/Gillie Bailey, ECU def. Beatrix Csordas/Marina

Parashkevova, DPU, 8-6

2. Gergana Ganeva/Petra Rehusova, DPU def. Mireia Gol/Luiza Borges, ECU, 8-6

3. Anja Mihaldinec/Bojana Murisic, DPU def. Raluca Baicu/Alex Smith, ECU, 8-3

(5) DePaul def. (10) UAB, 4-1 - Consolation

Singles

1. Beatrix Csordas, DPU def. Gulsah Esen, UAB 6-1, 6-4

2. Gergano Ganeva, DPU def. Ornischa Maier-Knapp, UAB 6-3, 4-6, 6-4

3. Petra Rehusova, DPU def. Julia von Samson, UAB 6-4, 6-4

4. Brenda Leung, DPU vs. Samrin Tanzeem, UAB, DNF (6-2, 3-6, 5-4)

5. Bojana Murisic, DPU vs. Annemaieke Elsholz, UAB, DNF (4-6, 7-6(3), 5-4)

6. Antonia Nugent, UAB def. Anja Mihaldinec, DPU, 6-2, 6-1

Doubles

1. Beatrix Csordas/Marina Parashkevova, DPU def. Gulsah Esen/Ornischa

Maier-Knapp, UAB, 8-3

2. Gergana Ganeva/Anja Mihaldinec, DPU def. Annemike Elsholz/Julia von

Samson, UAB, 8-2

3. Bojana Murisic/Petra Rehusova, DPU def. Samrin Tanzeem/Jana Wild, UAB, 8-4