LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – The spring season began for four Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference women’s tennis teams this weekend.
Trinity University opened the season against Hardin-Simmons University before heading to Abilene Christian University for matches against non-Division III competition.
Southwestern University competed with Schreiner University at an invitational hosted by the Mountaineers in Kerrville, Texas.
Texas Lutheran University took on a nationally-ranked NCAA Division II opponent in St. Edwards University.
Schreiner University
A young Mountaineer team claimed the title at the
Schreiner Invitational this weekend, earning 154 points, just ahead
of SCAC opponent Southwestern with 148. The Mountaineers rode wins
in five singles and doubles flights to the title. In singles
action, Alex Wheeler and Karyn Swink won their flights at No. 2 and
No. 3 respectively as did Kelsey Buczkowski and Katie Watts at No.
5 and No. 6 singles. In doubles play, the top team of Leanna Haynes
and Camila Anguiano won their flight as well. Anguiano was
runner-up at No. 4 singles and Haynes finished in third place at
No. 1 singles. The No. 2 doubles team of Wheeler and Brooke
Ohlman and the No. 3 pairing of Buczkowski and Payton Nelson also
finished in third place. SU got wins from Brittany Garza in extra
draw singles as well as in doubles play with the pairing of Swink
and Watts and Garza and junior Madeline Scotch.
Southwestern University
The Pirates competed at the Schreiner Invitational this
weekend, finishing in second place behind the hosting Mountaineers.
The team advanced to the finals in nearly every flight, taking the
championship in flight one and four. Julie Swets breezed through
her first two matches and took down ETBU in the final of flight
one. Nicole Wilson posted 6-1, 6-0 and 6-4, 6-0 wins in her first
two matches before defeating Schreiner to win flight four. The
women's doubles team snagged a pair of championships. Kali
Rose/Wilson won in No. 2 doubles and Virginia Stofer/Maranda Kahl
controlled No. 3 doubles, defeating OLLU in the final.
Texas Lutheran University
The Bulldogs took on 32nd ranked NCAA Division
II opponent St. Edward’s University this weekend, but fell
0-9. TLU’s Division III 10th-ranked singles player Sofia Vega
dropped a three-set match, 2-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-4). Alli Mclain fell
in the No. 2 singles spot 6-1, 6-3 to SEU’s Rafaela Haegele,
before Caitlin Zarr fell to Ivana Zecevic in the No. 3 spot 6-0,
6-1. In the No. 5 spot, Joni Bakley took on Summer Briggs, battling
in the second set to keep the match going, but eventually falling
6-0, 6-3. The pair of Vega and Mclain fell 8-2 in the No. 1 spot,
while Zarr and Brooke Taylor fell by an identical mark in the
second spot.
Trinity University
The Tigers competed at home this weekend, beginning with
a 5-2 loss to University of the Incarnate World Saturday. Both of
the Tigers’ points came in singles play, while UIW picked up
wins in two of the three doubles competitions. Gabrielle Roe and
Kristy Hamilton took No. 3 doubles by blanking their opponents 6-0.
Marie Lutz captured the No. 2 singles 7-5, 6-3, while Blaire Porter
won 6-2, 6-3 in the No. 4 spot. Liza Southwick was edged in the No.
1 spot after going to three sets, 5-7, 6-3, 10-6.
