Sept. 27, 2007

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -The Auburn University Montgomery tennis teams made it a complete sweep at the 2007 ITA Regional Championships.

One of the big surprises of the tournament came in the women's singles action, where un-seeded Natalie Sienkob defeated top-seeded and teammate, Kamila Dadakhodjaeva in a three-set marathon.  Sienkob won the first set 6-3 and Dadakhodjaeva came back to win set two 6-4.  In the third set, both players battled with the final score being 10-8 as Sienkob was able to gain the break of service.

On her way to the championship, Sienkob defeated three seeded players. She was the only player in the women's draw to play three players that were seeded and then to defeat all of them.

In doubles action, the AUM doubles team of Dadakhodjaeva and Dominika Zuzulova pulled out the championship over fellow AUM doubles tandem of Khady Berthe and Nadia Lysak by an 8-3 score.

In men's singles action, Victor Sanakai Papi defeated teammate Timothy Mudrick 6-7, 7-5, 6-1.  Sanakai Papi was the third seed and Mudrick the seventh seed in the match where neither player was expected to be in the finals.  Sanakai Papi defeated top seed Alberto Gonzalez in the semi finals to get into the finals.

Mudrick had to play two higher seeded players, including teammate Daniel Plasa, whom he defeated in the semi finals 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

In men's doubles action, Mudrick again found himself in the finals as the teammate of Gonzalez.  This time he was able to win a championship as the two defeated the top seeded team of Plasa and Sanakai Papi 9-7.

The winners automatically qualify for the ITA National Intercollegiate Championships hosted by Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.  The championship will be held Nov. 1-4.

The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Small College Championship began in 1986 and annually crowns men's and women's single and doubles national champions in each of the ITA's four small college divisions (NAIA, NCAA Divisions II and III and Junior/Community College) during the month of October. Participants are determined through the Wilson/ITA Regional Championships, held in September and October, which serve as qualifying tournaments. The national championship from each division then square off in the "Super Bowl" of Small College Tennis to determine the overall ITA National Small College Champions. The champions earn berths into the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships.

For a complete list of NAIA Wilson/ITA Regional Championship results click here.