PADUCAH, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University women’s tennis team won its first ever OVC championship Sunday afternoon by blanking Murray State in the finals, 4-0. With the win, the Colonels improve to 22-5 while the Racers end the season at 14-8.

Seniors Svetlana Pimenova and Alexandra Sitnikova won the deciding match in doubles, defeating Murray State’s Angela McGahee and Anne Pennington by a single break, 9-7.

The Colonels dominated play in singles and used victories by Sitnikova (No. 1), sophomore Myriem Mhirit (No. 3) and sophomore Anouk Faure (No. 5) to clinch the title. EKU was ahead in all three of the other singles matches when the final team outcome was decided.

Eastern Kentucky will next play in the 2009 NCAA tournament which begins on May 8.

2009 OVC Tournament Championship
#1 Eastern Kentucky 4, #3 Murray State 0

Singles
1. Alexandra Sitnikova (EKU) def. Anne Pennington (MUR) 6-0, 6-1
2. Svetlana Pimenova (EKU) led Angela McGahee (MUR) 6-4, 1-5 DNF
3. Myriem Mhirit (EKU) def. Cassidy Cunitz (MUR) 6-3, 6-2
4. Nadja Barz (EKU) led Alexis Webb (MUR) 6-0, 5-3 DNF
5. Anouk Faure (EKU) def. Lynsey Bochenek (MUR) 6-3, 6-1
6. Jemma Euers (EKU) led Lyndsay Ottosen (MUR) 6-2, 2-1 DNF

Doubles
1. Pimenova/Sitnikova (EKU) def. McGahee/Pennington (MUR) 9-7
2. Euers/Faure (EKU) def. Ottosen/Webb (MUR) 8-6
3. Bochenek/Cunitz (MUR) def. Barz/Mhirit (EKU) 8-4

Order of Finish
Doubles: 3, 2, 1
Singles: 1, 3, 5*