TECH TENNIS PERFORMS WELL AT ITS OWN TOURNAMENT

        RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – The Arkansas Tech Golden Suns Tennis team had several outstanding performances here this weekend at the Golden Suns College Tennis Slam Tournament held at the Chartwells Women’s Sports Complex on the Tech campus.

Seniors Whitney Simmons (Pottsville, Ark.) and Renee Malcuit (Lakeside, Calif.) each finished 2-1 in Flight 4 Singles as they lost in the consolation semifinals, while senior Puja Paul (Kolkata, West Bengal India) teamed up with Southwest Baptist’s Victoria Reed in Flight 2 Doubles and lost 8-4 in the consolation final to Southern Arkansas’ tandem of Caitlin Korensek and Megan Phinny. In the consolation semifinal, Paul and Reed defeated Tech’s tandem of Malcuit and freshman Jessica James (Valley Springs, Ark.).

“I was proud of the way our team performed at this tournament,” Tech Head Tennis Coach Abby Davis said. “We played some competitive matches and that should help prepare us as the season progresses.”

In addition to Tech, other teams that competed in the tournament included Henderson State, Northeastern State, Ouachita Baptist, Southeastern Oklahoma, Southern Arkansas and Southwest Baptist.

The tournament was Tech’s first competition at its new Chartwells Women’s Sports Complex, which was completed during the summer as part of the school’s $4-million “Return to Glory” capital campaign. The campaign raised funds to renovate and improve Buerkle Field, Tech’s football stadium and also construct eight tennis courts, a softball field, along with locker room and office space for the tennis and softball teams at the Chartwells Complex.

In Flight 1 Singles, sophomore Saki Matsuoka (Saitama, Japan) went 1-1 as she fell in the semifinals (6-2; 6-1) of the main draw to Northeastern State’s Zuzanna Osinska. Matsuoka teamed up with junior Anna Carson (Fort Smith, Ark.) to go 1-1 in Flight 1 Doubles as they fell 8-1 in the semifinals to the NSU tandem of Osinska and Emina Spirtovic.

Carson and freshman Michelle Yu (Flower Mound, Texas) competed in Flight 2 Singles as they went a combined 1-3. Carson lost in the second round of the main draw to NSU’s Michaela Romanova (7-5; 6-4), while Yu lost in the first round of the main draw and also fell in the first round of the consolation flight.

In Flight 3 Singles, Paul went 1-2 as she fell in the consolation semifinals after losing her first round match to Henderson State’s Rebecca Staton and junior Kristen Burgess (Winona, Texas) also went 1-2 as she lost in the consolation finals to Southwest Baptist’s Lauren Hodson, 8-0. Burgess had fallen into the consolation flight after losing in the first round to SBU’s Trish Moceo (6-1; 6-3).

 In addition to Simmons and Malcuit in the No. 4 Singles Flight, junior Breann Rangel (Alpine, Calif.) and freshman Jessica James (Valley Springs, Ark.) each went 0-2.

Meanwhile, Yu and Burgess teamed up to finish 0-2 in Flight 1 Doubles, while Simmons and Rangel went 0-2 in Flight 2 Doubles and Malcuit and James went 1-2 in Flight 2 Doubles.

Tech will return to action on Oct. 5-6 when they compete at the Collin County Community College Tournament in Plano, Texas.

Tech Tennis Slam Results (Tech Players only)

Flight #1 Singles –

Saki Matsuoka

2nd round – def. Ana Gonzalez-Dorado (SAU), 6-4; 6-1

Semifinals – lost to Zuzanna Osinska (NSU), 6-2; 6-1

Flight #2 Singles

Anna Carson

1st round – def. Natalia Drada (OBU), 6-2; 6-1

2nd round – lost to Michaela Romanova (NSU), 7-5; 6-4

Michelle Yu

1st round – lost to Celine Martinez (NSU), 6-1; 6-3

Consolation 1st round – lost to Deana Brooks (SOSU), 8-2

Flight #3 Singles

Puja Paul

1st round – lost to Rebecca Staton (HSU), 6-2; 6-2

Consolation 1st round – def. Katie Potts (OBU), 8-5

Consolation semifinals – lost to Lauren Hodson (SBU), 8-0

Kristen Burgess

1st round – lost to Trish Moceo (SBU), 6-1; 6-3

Consolation semifinals – def. Megan Harness (HSU), 8-6

Consolation finals – lost to Lauren Hodson (SBU), 6-0; 6-0

Flight #4 Singles

Whitney Simmons

1st round – def. Victoria Reed (SBU), 7-5; 6-2

2nd round – def. Megan Phinny (SAU), 6-1; 3-6 (10-4)

Semifinals – lost to Alicja Augustinska (NSU), 6-3; 6-4

Renee Malcuit

          1st round – def. Allison Hill (HSU), 6-0; 6-1

          2nd round – def. Annie Gerber (OBU), 6-1; 6-1

          Semifinals – lost to Sara Schmidt (SOSU), 6-3; 6-4

          Breann Rangel

          1st round – lost to Whitney Noechel (OBU), 6-3; 6-4

          Consolation semifinals – lost to Victoria Reed (SBU), 8-1

          Jessica James

          1st round – lost to Sara Schmidt (SOSU), 6-0; 6-0

          Consolation 1st round – lost to Vallery McKinney (NSU), 8-0

          Flight #1 Doubles

          Yu/Burgess

          1st round – lost to Rachel Vinsant/Anneka Bhalla (SAU), 8-3

          Consolation 1st round – lost to Celine Martinez/Karolina Cichon (NSU), 8-1

          Carson/Matsuoka

          2nd round – def. Mariana Divardin/Natalia Drada (OBU), 8-4

          Semifinals – lost to Zuzanna Osinska/Emina Spirtovic (NSU), 8-1

          Flight #2 Doubles

          Paul/Victoria Reed (SBU)

          1st round – lost to Vallery McKinney/Gabriella Del Campo (NSU), 8-4

          Consolation 1st round – Stephanie Schnobel/Allison Hill (HSU), 8-5

          Semifinals – def. Malcuit/James (Tech), 8-5

          Finals – lost to Caitlin Korensek/Megan Phinny (SAU), 8-4

Simmons/Rangel

          1st round – lost to Meredith Massey/Allison Hill (HSU), 8-3

          Consolation 1st round – lost to Caitlin Korensek/Megan Phinny (SAU), 8-1

          Malcuit/James

          1st round – lost to Sara Schmidt/Lauren Kidd (SOSU), 8-1

          Consolation 1st round – def. Whitney Noechel/Annie Gerber (OBU), 8-3

          Semifinals – lost to Victoria Reed/Puja Paul (SBU/Tech), 8-5

          Tech Tennis Slam Tournament results

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