September 27, 2010

Barnett, Brown win ITA titles

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- Junior Reena Barnett (El Paso, Texas/Homeschooled) and freshman Katie Brown (Harrisburg, Pa./Homeschooled) both captured individual titles over the weekend to highlight the Grove City College women's tennis team's strong overall performance at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional Championships, hosted by University of Mary Washington.

Barnett posted a 4-0 record en route to the Blue 5 Singles title while Brown won each of her four matches in the Blue 4 Singles draw.

Barnett won her crown by picking up a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Bryn Mawr's Melanie Shafer. In the semifinals, Barnett defeated Grove City senior Elissa Beale (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Lutheran) 6-1, 5-7, 16-14.

Brown won the Blue 4 title with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Muhlenberg's Emily Szulman. Brown bounced Moravian's Erica Venuti in the semifinals, 6-3 and 6-4.

Brown also teamed with junior Christina Bedi (Chesapeake, Va./Oscar Smith) to reach the finals of the 16-team Blue 3 Doubles tournament. The Bedi-Brown combination fell in the finals to the Washington & Lee tandem of Jennifer Hall and Laura Simmons, 8-2.

Barnett and Beale posted a 1-1 mark in the Blue 2 Doubles tournament while senior Kimberly Peterson (New Castle, Pa./Neshannock) and junior Natalie Walten (Stewartstown, Pa./Kennard-Dale) teamed for a 1-1 record in Blue 1 Doubles play.

In Championship Doubles play, juniors Megan Bennett (Poland, Ohio/Poland) and Stacy Moon (Lima, Ohio/Shawnee) won their opener over Muhlenberg's Lindsay Schmidt and Danielle Winston. The Bennett-Moon team fell in the second round, 9-8, to Wesley's Jordan Finnegan and Brittany Marshall. The Wesley duo entered the tournament as the No. 2 overall seed.

Moon dropped her opener in Championship singles play to Washington & Lee's Treslie Sadler, 6-2 and 6-1. Moon advanced to the third round of consolations before inclement weather postponed the remaining consolation bouts.

Walten reached the semifinals of Blue Singles 2-A by securing a pair of three-set wins. She opened the 16-player tournament with a 5-7, 7-5, 4-0 victory over Mary Washington's Rachel Covington. Walten then rallied for a 1-6, 6-4, 4-1 decision over Dickinson's Sarah Woodward in the quarterfinals.

Walten's run ended with a 6-1, 6-3 setback against eventual champion Katie Samuelson (Swarthmore).

Bennett went 1-1 in Blue 2-B, falling to eventual champion Brook Pottish of Johns Hopkins, 6-0 and 6-2, in the quarterfinals. Bennett defeated Mary Washington's Anna Richman 6-1, 6-0 in the opening round.

After falling in the opening round to Meredith College's Betty Edwards, 6-2, 2-6, 4-2, Peterson reached the semifinals of the Blue 3 consolation draw. However, rain forced the postponement of her remaining matches.

Like Brown, Bedi competed in the Blue 4 Singles tournament. Bedi opened with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Mary Washington's Madison Martin. However, Bridgewater's Brittany Wilson edged Bedi in the quarterfinals, 5-7, 6-3, 4-2.

Grove City (7-0) returns to action Tuesday afternoon against visiting Penn State Behrend in non-conference action.

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