September 30, 2009

Grove City competes in ITA Tournament

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- Several Grove City College women's tennis players participated in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Southeast Regional Championships at the University of Mary Washington Saturday and Sunday.

Junior Kimberly Peterson (New Castle, Pa./Neshannock) led Grove City's effort by going 3-0 in the Blue 3 Singles draw. She opened the tournament with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Stevenson's Wendy Ogbolu. In the quarterfinals, Peterson topped Christopher Newport entry Kim Morrissett, 6-2 and 6-2.

In the semifinals, Peterson picked up a 6-4, 6-3 decision over Franklin & Marshall's Dana Russo. Inclement weather forced the cancellation of the final match.

Senior Lisa Baldwin (Charlotte, N.C./Covenant Day) also competed in the Blue 3 Singles draw. Baldwin picked up a 5-7, 6-0, 10-8 win over Haverford's Ann Ailstock before having to withdraw from the tournament.

Junior Elissa Beale (Bel Air, Md./Baltimore Lutheran) advanced to the finals of the Blue 6 Singles draw. She downed Victoria Balonik of Virginia Wesleyan in the quarterfinals, 7-5, 6-1. Beale then bounced Christopher Newport's Stephanie Peed in the semifinals by a 6-3, 6-0 score. In the finals, Widener's Rebekah Shanahan topped Beale, 7-6, 6-3.

Sophomore Christina Bedi (Chesapeake, Va./Oscar F. Smith) recorded a 2-1 mark in the Blue 4 Singles tournament. Bedi blanked Rosemont's Morgan Thomson, 6-0, 6-0 in the opening round. Bedi then earned a 6-4, 6-3 win over Mercy's Betty Edwards in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, Randolph-Macon's Windsor Tyler slipped past Bedi, 3-6, 7-5, 10-5.

Sophomore Reena Barnett (El Paso, Texas/Homeschooled) went 1-1 in Blue 5 competition. She dropped a 6-2, 4-6, 10-6 decision to Widener's Anna Mitchell in the opening round. In her first consolation match, Barnett pulled out an 8-6 win over Liz Killian of Guilford. Weather postponed the remainder of the bracket.

Three Grove City players competed in the Championship singles draw. Junior Natalie Walten (Stewartstown, Pa./Kennard-Dale) dropped a 6-2, 7-5 verdict to ninth-seeded Rachel Iosue of Salisbury University. In the consolation bracket, Walten topped Washington & Lee's Virginia Dickinson, 8-3. Walten's run then ended with an 8-0 setback against Mary Washington's Michelle Meadows.

Sophomore Megan Bennett (Poland, Ohio/Poland) dropped a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 verdict to Randolph-Macon's Lucy Schermerhorn in the opening round. Bennett rebounded with a 9-7 win over Haverford's Shawnte Woodson in the consolation bracket. However, Bennett then fell to Carnegie Mellon's Cze-Ja Tam, 8-0, in the second round of consolations.

Sophomore Stacy Moon (Lima, Ohio/Shawnee) opened the Championship draw with a 6-0, 6-0 setback against Johns Hopkins' Ariel Several. Moon advanced to the second round of consolations before falling to Salisbury's Jillian Poppe, 8-3.

Grove City (5-1) returns to action Thursday at Penn State Behrend.

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