Sept. 18, 2006

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - For the second straight year, junior Larissa Santos (Florianopolis, Brazil) captured both singles and doubles titles at the Hampton Roads Collegiate Invitational of Virginia Beach.

In the flight A bracket, Santos, who received a first round bye, earned her first win against Norfolk State's Fiorela Valdivia, 6-3, 6-0, in the quarterfinals. In the semis, Santos was ahead of Temple's Yuri Kurashima, 6-1, 3-0, when Kurashima retired due to injury. In the flight A finale, Santos downed Longwood's Elena Triebskorn in the first set, 6-1, but fell 2-6 in the second set. In the tie break, Santos emerged victories, 1-0 (8).

In other Flight A action, junior Barbara Costa (Belo Horizonte, Brazil), went 1-1. Costa defeated Liberty's Jonita Randolph, 2-6, 6-1, 1-0 (6) in the opening round of 16, but then fell to eventual finals participant, Triebskorn, 6-4, 6-3.

Junior Linda Garder (Tallinn, Estonia) earned a first round bye in the flight A bracket, but fell 6-3, 7-4 to James Madison's Anna Khoor. In the consolation bracket, Garder took home an 8-4 win over Cincinatti's Jennifer Rowan.

In the flight A doubles bracket, the Lady Monarch duo of Costa/Santos garnered a first round bye and advanced into the finals after Temple's entry of Radka Ferancova and Yuri Kurashima withdrew due to injury. In the finale, Costa and Santos defeated Cincinatti's Veleriya Dandik and Jennifer Keiner, 8-4, for the title.

The Monarch women's tennis team returns to action the weekend of September 29 for the Hall Automotive Scholarship Tennis Tournament followed by the ITA Men's Tennis All-American Tournament.

Flight A Singles
Round of 16
Barbara Costa (ODU) def. Jonita Randolph (Liberty): 2-6, 6-1, 1-0 (6)
Larissa Santos (ODU) def. Rebecca Erikson (JMU): 6-1, 7-5

Quarterfinals
Anna Khoor (JMU) def. Linda Garder (ODU): 6-3, 7-4
Elena Triebskorn (Longwood) def. Barbara Costa (ODU): 6-4, 6-3
Larissa Santos (ODU) def. Fiorela Valdivia (NSU): 6-3, 6-0

Semifinals
Larissa Santos (ODU) def. Yuri Kurashima (Temple): 6-1, 3-0 ret (inj.)

Finals:
Larissa Santos (ODU) def. Elena Triebskorn (Longwood): 6-1, 2-6, 1-0 (8)

Flight A Singles Consolation
Quarterfinals
Linda Garder (ODU) def. Jennifer Rowan (Cinn.): 8-4

Flight A Doubles
Semifinals:
Barbara Costa/Larissa Santos (ODU) def. Radka Ferancova/Yuri Kurashima (Temple): Wd (inj.)

Finals:
Barbara Costa/Larissa Santos (ODU) def. Valeriya Dandik/Jennifer Keiner (Cin): 8-4