NEWARK, N.J. - The Saint Joseph's women's tennis team capped the fall portion of its schedule with strong showings in both doubles and singles matches at the NJIT Invitational this past weekend.
In total, the Hawks claimed three singles consolation titles and a doubles consolation title, while three other players advanced to the semifinals in the singles flights.
"I am very pleased with the result of the weekend and it is a great wrap up to the Fall season that they all get to compete," said SJU head coach Ian Crookenden. "The event was tough and the girls all learned what they need to work on to prepare for the spring team match season."
In the Doubles Flight A bracket, senior Aurora Davis and sophomore Alex Zachem claimed the consolation title. After dropping a tough 8-6 decision in the opening match, the SJU pair faced teammates Lauren Roy and Maddie Graziani in the semifinals of the consolation bracket. Davis and Zachem would previal, 8-1, and go on to top Sacred Heart's Taylor Gurda and Paige Olson, 8-7 (3).
Also playing in Doubles Flight A, Kelly Mulquin and Claire Minnoe were 8-2 winners over Gurda and Olson in the opening mtach, but fell 8-3 in the semifinals, while Kristina Eisenbrand and Sarah Contrata advanced to the semifinals of the consolation bracket.
Rounding out doubles play in the Flight B bracket, freshmen Robyn Ferraro and Maureen Devlin were 8-5 winners in their opening match, but fell 8-2 in the semifinals. Arianne Polatnick and Anne Marie Devlin would advance to the semifinals of the consolation bracket, before falling in a superbreaker, 8-7 (6).
Switching to singles play, Davis dropped a challenging match to Sacred Heart's Katie DeRiezo, 7-6 (4), 5-7, 10-8 to open play in Singles Flight A, but bounced back to claim the consolation title, besting Minnoe, 6-2, 6-0 in the finals.
"It was too bad that the best two players in (singles) A Flight had to meet in the first round with Aurora losing a 10 point super breaker for the match," said Crookenden.
Minnoe, who dropped a 6-0,6-4 match to begin singles play, bounced back with a 6-2, 7-5 win in the quarterfinals of the consolation match and bested teammate Maureen Devlin, 6-3, 6-1 in the semifinals. Eisenbrand was the fourth Hawk to compete in the fligh, advancing to the semifinals, before falling to DeRiezo, 7-5, 6-0.
Roy and Mulquin battled in the Singles Flight B consolation match as Roy took the title with a 6-3, 6-1 win over her classmate. Also playing in the flight, Polatnick advanced to the finals, but fell in a tough three-set match, 4-6, 6-4, 11-9 to Rhode Island's Kathleen Uy.
Zachem rounded out play in Flight B, advancing to the quarterfinals before falling to Uy, 6-4, 6-2.
Capping play in the Singles Flight C, Contrata won the consolation title with a 6-1, 6-3 decision versus URI's Jordan Rucks, after besting Graziani in the semifinals, 6-3, 6-2. Graziani would finish third in the consolation bracket with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Rhode Island's Gina Atanasoff.
Anne Marie Devlin advanced to the semifinals of the Singles Flight C, topping Ewens, 6-2, 6-3 in the quarterfinals, before falling 6-3, 6-4.
Ewens would finish the tournament with a 6-0, 6-1 consolation vcitory, while Ferraro won her first match, 2-6, 6-2, 10-4, but fell in the quarterfinals.
