Tennis teams dominate field at GTFI, SIC
By Colin Ake/ Student Publications
Christy Striplin playing in the middle of a game against Jessica Wente of Florida State. She went on to win the match in straight sets, 6-3, 6-0.
This past weekend, Tech's women's tennis team hosted the Georgia Tech Fall Invitational (GTFI) at Bill Moore Tennis Center in Atlanta. The team began their season playing against UGA, Florida State, Georgia State and Harvard.
"It was really great to get out there and compete again. Trying to build upon a good start with a solid base for the year," said junior Christy Striplin.
The Jackets started the tournament the way they ended last season: dominating the competition. Tech swept all eight singles matches and won two of their four doubles matches. Striplin and sophomore Amanda McDowell started the doubles round with a 9-7 win over Tapiwa Marobela and Carolin Walter of Florida State. Sophomore Kirsten Flower and freshman Maya Johansson defeated Georgia State's Dariana Kozmina and Mateja Podgorsek, 8-6, for Tech's second doubles win of the day. Katie Rybakova and Ania Rynarzewska of Florida State edged senior Kristi Miller and freshman Sasha Krupina, 9-7. Lauren Macfarlane and Jessica Wente of FSU also defeated freshman Noelle Hickey and senior Whitney McCray, 8-2.
"It was my first time playing on a team and it was great to hear people yell, 'Go Jackets!'," said freshman Noelle Hickey.
In eight matches the Jackets had just two that went to a third set. Striplin, Miller, McDowell, Flower, Hickey and McCray all won in straight sets and Johansson and Krupina won in three sets. McCray beat Eunice Lee of Harvard 6-0, 6-0. The Jackets finished Saturday 2-2 in doubles and 6-1 in singles. Striplin and McDowell beat Tapiwa Marobela and Carolin Walter, 9-7. Flower and Johansson also won their doubles matches. On the singles side, McCray, Hickey, Johansson, Striplin and Krupina all won in straight sets. McDowell won the first set 6-2, dropped the second set 3-6 and finished the match with a perfect 6-0 third set. Flower lost the only singles match to Katie Rybakova of FSU 6-4, 6-3.
The third day turned out as well as the previous two. Tech started the day 3-0 on doubles, with the teams of Flower and Johansson, McCray and McDowell and Hickey and Striplin winning their matches.
The Jackets also went 5-2 in singles on Sunday. McDowell, Striplin, Johansson and Flower all won in straight sets. Miller won in three sets and McCray and Krupina lost to their opponents.
"What happened last year happened last year, we look at this year like a fresh start. The fact that we won it last year makes it more desirable to win it this year," Striplin said.
"The freshman really wanted to step up and play. We all did really well. Coach [Shelton] told us going in that he'd rather us lose doing the right things than to win doing nothing at all. This part of the season we're focusing on getting better, the results will take care of themselves. If we happen to lose a few getting better, so be it, but come this spring we'll be the No. 1 team," Hickey said.
The Jackets play at Baylor University at the Baylor Invitational this weekend before going to Los Angeles for the ITA Championship pre-qualifying round.
The men's team was in action at the Southern Intercollegiate Championships (SIC) held at UGA this past weekend.The team was led by the success of the freshman. Doug Kenny won both of his games last Thursday, taking matches from Enrique Meloni of UNC-Wilmington, 6-4, 7-6 and Steven Myers of Charleston, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Ryan Smith and Eliot Potvin also added victories for the squad. Smith won his match in three games, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. It also took Potvin three sets to close out his match, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5.Smith continued his success the next day of play, marching into the round of 16 in the Division II part of the competition. He won his match in the round of 32 in straight sets, but fell in straight sets in the very next round. Miguel Muguruza and George Gvelesiani was in the mix for the Jackets in doubles play. The team of Gvelesiani and Smith fell to the team of Sandgren and Smith of Tennessee in the round of 32 in Division I play. In Division II play, the team of Kenny and Muguruza lost against Bernstein and Varela of UGA.
Play continued on Sunday, when the team played against Miami. Tech took all three singles matches. Potvin defeated Hector Nieto, 6-3, 6-3. Kenny took the match against Westin Wendt, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Smith rounded out the third victory with a straight sets victory over Barnabas Carrega, 7-5, 6-4.
The men's team is back in action Sept. 29 at the ITA All Americans Tourney in Tulsa, Okla.
