Feb. 3, 2007

Los Angeles, CA (Feb. 2) -- Loyola Marymount women's tennis saw three singles players and four double teams advance to the next round of the 2007 Cal State Los Angeles Invitational Tournament on Friday. Play continues through Sunday as Bliss Nixon, Elrien de Villiers and Audrey Bulkley advanced in the singles brackets.

Nixon earned a 6-2, 6-0 win over Marisa Flores of Biola and will play Renee Paquillo of Cal Poly Pomona in the Quarterfinals. Nixon is the lone Lion in the 1 and 2 Singles Flight. Maria Garcia-Planas Albert also played in the 1&2 Singles Flight, but fell to Kelly Hasegawa, 6-4, 6-2.

In the 3&4 Singles Flight, de Villiers advanced witha 6-2, 6-1 win over Christy Baughman of The Master's College. She will face Kasia Krasinska of Cal State Northridge in the Quarterfinals. Bulkley also advanced in the 3&4 Flight bracket, defeating Starlet Barnes, 6-1, 6-1. She will now face mallory Brady of Cal State L.A.

Audra Silman fell in the 3&4 Flight, 6-1, 6-3 to Jennifer Avila of Cal State L.A. Silman then played in the Consolation round and earned an 8-1 win over Gloria Slakoff of Grand Canyon. Silman will play Christine Garner of Biola in the Consolation Quarterfinals.

In doubles action, the team of de Villiers and Nixon paired in Doubles Flight 1 and earned an 8-2 win over Lewand and Unruh of Grand Canyon. They will play Cal Poly Pomona's Paguillo and Tsai in the semifinals.

In Doubles Flight 2, Bulkley and Albert defeated Occidental's Kaplan/Wahba, 8-2. They will play Cal State L.A.'s Avila and Jackson in the semifinals.

The largest double bracket is in Flight 3 as Lunardi and Tejada won in the Round of 16, defeating Barnes and Pineda of Cal State L.A., 8-4. They will play Lin and Wong of Cal Poly Pomona in the Quarterfinals. The team of Russell and Silman also won in the Round of 16, cruising to a 8-0 win over Fenton and Garcia of The Master's College. They will play Maduz and Manasseh of Cal State L.A. in the Quarterfinals.

For complete results go to CSULA Website