PADUCAH, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University women’s tennis team upset top-seeded Jacksonville State in the 2010 Ohio Valley Conference tournament semifinals Saturday afternoon, 4-2. The Colonels (14-15) will now play No. 2 seed Austin Peay tomorrow in the championship match.

The Gamecocks opened play by winning a tightly contested doubles point. Both No. 2 and No. 3 doubles were decided by scores of 9-7 with JSU winning the pivotal No. 2 match.

From there, Eastern responded by winning four of five singles matches to shock the Gamecocks. Junior Myriem Mhirit (No. 1), junior Anouk Faure (No. 3), freshman Catarina Branco (No. 4) and senior Anais Hamel (No. 5) were all victorious. Hamel’s win over JSU’s Julianna Renesto clinched the team victory.

EKU fell to Jacksonville State just one week ago by a count of 5-2. The Gamecocks were undefeated against OVC opponents this spring.

Eastern Kentucky, the No. 5 seed, has a chance to earn its second straight trip to the NCAA tournament if the Colonels can defeat Austin Peay on Sunday in Paducah. Match time is set for 3 p.m. ET.

2010 OVC Championships – Semifinals
#5 Eastern Kentucky 4, #1 Jacksonville State 2

Singles
1. Myriem Mhirit (EKU) def. Viviane Marani (JSU) 6-3, 6-4
2. Martina Dessbesell (JSU) def. Jessica Albuquerque (EKU) 6-2, 6-0
3. Anouk Faure (EKU) def. Kimberly Ferris (JSU) 0-6, 6-1, 6-1
4. Catarina Branco (EKU) def. Rafaela Wenzel (JSU) 6-4, 6-2
5. Anais Hamel (EKU) def. Julianna Renesto (JSU) 7-5, 7-5
6. Alyze Pagal (EKU) vs. Ralphaela Lima (JSU) DNF

Doubles
1. Dessbesell/Marani (JSU) def. Albuquerque/Hamel (EKU) 8-1
2. Ferris/Lima (JSU) def. Faure/Pagal (EKU) 9-7
3. Branco/Mhirit (EKU) def. Fuller/Wenzel (JSU) 9-7

Match Notes: Eastern Kentucky (14-15); Jacksonville State (13-9)
Order of Finish: Doubles (1, 3, 2); Singles (2, 3, 1, 4, 5*)