May 25, 2004

ATHENS, GA -- Senior Nataly Cahana (Qiriat Bialik, Israel) closed out her career as a Lady Monarch bowing out of the NCAA Women's Tennis Tournament in the second round with a 1-6, 6-7 loss to Margarita Karnaukhova of Sacramento State on Tuesday afternoon at the Dan McGill Tennis Complex on the campus of the University of Georgia.

Four-time CAA Player of the Year and the ITA East Region Senior Player of the Year, Cahana advanced to the second round of the tournament with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over #57 Jessica Ferguson from Louisiana State. Cahana, ranked 30th in the ITA Poll, was making her third appearance in the second round of the NCAA Women's Tennis Tournament after qualifying for the tournament all four years of her career.

After dropping the first set 1-6, Cahana rallied from a 1-4 deficit in the second set to tie the set at 6-6. Karnaukhova, ranked 42nd, took the final and deciding game to advance. Karnaukhova had advanced to the second round after an upset win over ninth ranked Agata Cioroch of the University of Georgia.

Cahana closes out her career as one of the most prolific women's tennis players in Old Dominion history. Her achievements include:

All-American Finalist 2002 & 2001
ITA East Region Singles Champion 2003 & 2001
ITA East Region Doubles Champion 2002
Main draw player in 13 consecutive national singles championships
CAA "Player of the Year" all four years
ITA National Player to Watch award 2001
ITA East Region Senior Player of the Year
ODU Career singles record 143-28
ODU Career doubles record 87-35
ITA Academic All-American
2001 ODU women's team won first ever CAA Championship
2002 ODU women's team qualifies for first ever ITA national indoor
Team Captain 2004, 2003
Three-time team MVP