March 6, 2009

Final Stats | Photo Gallery

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Senior Anna Novo broke her third career wins record this season for the USC Upstate women's tennis team, as she won her school-record 65th doubles win with sophomore partner Emilia Milovanovic on Friday afternoon , as she helped Upstate to its 12th straight Atlantic Sun Conference win and 25th straight win at the USC Upstate Tennis Complex in a 7-0 blanking of Belmont in both teams' A-Sun openers.

Novo and Milovanovic downed Whitnie Warren and Abby Leatherwood, 8-2, at No. 1 doubles to clinch the doubles point for the Spartans (5-2 overall, 1-0 A-Sun). The win was Novo's school-record 146th career combined win (singles and doubles) and she added her 81st career singles win with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Warren at No. 1 singles. Novo passed the doubles mark of 64 wins set by former teammate Diana Martinez (2004-07), and also passed Martinez earlier this year for both her singles and combined wins records.

Belmont falls to 5-3 overall and 0-1 in the A-Sun.

Senior Daniela Lovera and freshman Ana-Sofia Camberos posted an 8-1 win over Lauren Irick and Lindsay Bennett at No. 3 doubles to start off the point before the win at No. 1 doubles. Junior Carolina Bello and freshman Cinthya Lazaro added an 8-7 (1) win in a hard-fought match against Tatiana Pozo and Abigail Hogan at No. 2 to close out doubles play.

Novo gave Upstate the early 2-0 lead before Lovera posted a 6-1, 6-3 win over Hogan at No. 4 singles and Camberos added an identical score at No. 6 singles against Irick to clinch the match.

Milovanovic turned in a 6-2, 6-4 win over Leatherwood at No. 3 singles and Bello added a 6-4, 6-3 win over Pozo at No. 2 singles before Lazaro closed the match with a 6-3, 6-4 win at No. 5 over Bennett.

Upstate will have a busy Saturday, facing off against Lipscomb at 10 a.m. in an Atlantic Sun Conference march before facing crosstown rival Wofford in a 3 p.m. match at the USC Upstate Tennis Complex.