DATE: Saturday, October 18, 1997            TAG: 9710180600

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS                      LENGTH:   44 lines

COX, TALLWOOD REACH EAST REGION GIRLS TENNIS FINALBY WINNING FRIDAY, THE SCHOOLS CLINCHED SPOTS IN THE GROUP AAA STATE TOURNEY.

Cox and Tallwood clinched Group AAA state tournament appearances while setting up an all-Beach District final Friday by rolling to victories in the Eastern Region girls tennis semifinals Friday at Centre Court Racquet Club.

The defending champion Falcons remained unbeaten against regional opponents over the past two years by whipping Menchville, 6-0.

``We beat them last year, so we came in pretty confident,'' said the Falcons' No. 6 player Jaclyn Hampton, whose 6-2, 6-1 win over Catherine Melvin clinched the victory.

The Lions downed Denbigh 5-1 and became the first girls tennis team to qualify for the state tournament in the school's six-year history.

The two teams meet for the championship at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Owl Creek Municipal Tennis Center. The winner hosts the Northwest Region runner-up on Oct. 28, while Monday's loser travels to the Northwest Region champion.

``We're just happy to get to state,'' Tallwood's Mona Palarca said.

The Falcons have never lost to the Lions.

Rain forced the semifinals to be shifted from Owl Creek to the indoor courts at Centre Court, but the change in venue had little effect on Friday's winners.

``It didn't really matter where we played,'' Hampton said. ``We just wanted to get it played.''

The Falcons' business-like approach is reflected in the match scores. Top player Kristin Moran dropped only two games in her straight-sets victory, No. 2 Ashby Moran just one, No. 3 Adrienne Byrne five, and Shannon Gormley, Hampton and No. 6 Lisa Treece three apiece.

Tallwood also cruised over the Peninsula District runners-up Patriots, stumbling only with Maria Terry's three-set loss at No. 2 singles. Diana Ocampo, Mona Palarca, Jennifer Palarca, Emily Zimmerman and Dora Branyan all won in straight sets.

The Lions didn't even need the services of Danielle ``Cooky'' Miranda, Tallwood's No. 4 player, who overcame cramps to become the hero of their two-day quarterfinal victory over Great Bridge. Miranda, who said she was still a bit sore, was slated to play doubles, but those matches were scrapped when both teams clinched victories.

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