March 4, 2000

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The University of Illinois women's tennis team dropped a non-conference match to the North Carolina Tar Heels, 7-2 in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday afternoon.

The Illini (4-6 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) dropped five of six singles matches with freshman Eldina Fazlic winning in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4 in the No. 2 spot over UNC's Jess Fagauczyk. The No. 3 doubles team of freshmen Natascha Loebnitz and Eldina Fazlic recorded an 8-5 win over the team of Caroline Hill and Courtney Zalinski.

"There was some real good effort there, but we need to do better," assistant coach JoAnne Russell said. "We have to believe we can win."

Illinois looks to rebound tomorrow against Duke in a Noon ET match in Durham, N.C.

No. 28 North Carolina 7, No. 44 Illinois 2 Singles 1. Marlene Mejia (UNC) d. Simone Kung (UI), 6-1, 6-0 2. Eldina Fazlic (UI) d. Jessica Zaganczyk (UNC), 6-1, 6-4 3. Kendrick Bunn (UNC) d. Carla Rosenberg (UI), 6-3, 6-2 4. Caroline Hill (UNC) d. Natalia Manasova (UI), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 5. Courtney Zalinski, (UNC) d. Natasha Loebnitz (UI), 6-3, 0-6, 7-5 6. Kate Pinchbeck (UNC) d. Michelle Webb (UI), 6-2, 6-2

Doubles 1. Mejia/Zaganczyk (UNC) d. Webb/Kung (UI), 8-6 2. Bunn/Pinchbeck (UNC) d. Rosenberg/Manasova (UI), 9-8 3. Loebnitz/Fazlic (UI) d. Hill/Zalinski (UNC), 8-5