April 23, 2001

MACON, GA -

Florida Atlantic University's bid for another upset at the Trans America Athletic Conference Championship fell short Monday morning in a dramatic 4-3 loss to Campbell University in the title match.

FAU took an early 1-0 lead by winning the doubles point. The team of Kristen Jordan and Jessica Burrow defeated Teodora Doncheva and Kerstin Stockinger 8-3 at no. 2 before FAU's Maria Aguirre-Gomez and Tania Rivera clinched the point with an 8-6 victory over Campbell's Carmen Linder and Laurence Poujoulat.

In singles play, Campbell won matches at no. 4 and no. 5 while FAU's Jordan defeated Linder 6-0, 6-1 at no. 1 to tie the match at 2-2. The next two matches also ended with a victory for both teams as Aguirre-Gomez defeated Stockinger 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 at no. 2 before Erb defeated Burrow in a third-set tiebreaker at no. 6 to tie the match at 3-3. That set up a 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 victory by Poujoulat over Rivera at no. 3 to clinch the match.

FAU entered the tournament as the four-seed and knocked off top-seeded Troy State on Saturday and was trying to get past the two-seed Camels and gain their first berth in the NCAA Tournament.

The loss ends what has been the best season for the Lady Owls at Division I with a 13-11 record. FAU won 11 of its final 13 matches. It was Florida Atlantic's first TAAC Championship title try.

Campbell 4, FAU 3

Singles

1. Kristen Jordan (FAU) d. Carmen Linder (CU) 6-0, 6-1.

2. Maria Aguirre-Gomez (FAU) d. Kerstin Stockinger (CU) 1-6, 6-1, 6-4.

3. Laurence Poujoulat (CU) d. Tania Rivera (FAU) 6-2, 6-7, 6-4.

4. Teodora Doncheva (CU) d. Stephanie Beaulieu (FAU) 6-1, 6-1.

5. Isabel Declerq (CU) d. Morgan Wade (FAU) 6-1, 6-0.

6. Alexia Erb (CU) d. Jessica Burrow (FAU) 6-1, 1-6, 7-6.

Doubles

1. Aguirre-Gomez/Rivera (FAU) d. Linder/Poujoulat (CU) 8-6.

2. Burrow/Jordan (FAU) d. Doncheva/Stockinger (CU) 8-3.

3. Erb/Declercq (CU) d. Beaulieu/Wade (FAU) 8-0.