Oct. 29, 2001

MADISON, Wis. - Sophomore women's tennis player Irina Strembitsky (Eastlake, Ohio/Mayfield) competed at the Omni Hotels Region IV Championships in Madison, Wis. over the weekend. She won a pair of matches before losing in the quarterfinal round of the qualifying singles bracket. The defeat was the first of her singles career, dropping her to 16-1.

Strembitsky opened play with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Ohio State's Bryan Lindsay. In the next round, she defeated Laura Gravino of Illinois State, 6-2, 6-3, to advance to the quarterfinals. However, Xavier's Lauren Clary proved to be too much, winning 0-6, 6-2, 6-2. Not only was the loss the first of Strembitsky's career, but it marked the first time she has even dropped a set.

A win over Clary would have moved Strembitsky into the main singles draw of 64 players. The Vikings are off until play resumes in the spring.