September 23, 2013

Grove City competes at ITA Championships

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- The Grove City College women's tennis team recorded several notable performances this weekend at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Southeast Championships, hosted by the University of Mary Washington.

In the Blue 1 doubles draw, the Grove City combination of junior Caroline McGuire (Shorewood, Wis./Dominican) and sophomore Karolina Lagerquist (Pittsburgh, Pa./Homeschooled) advanced to the championship round. The duo opened the tournament with an 8-2 win over Virginia Wesleyan's Hannah Parent and Mia Proctor.

McGuire and Lagerquist advanced to the semifinals by pulling out an 8-6 quarterfinal victory over the Moravian combinatino of Melissa Follett and Erica Venuti. Grove City's top doubles entry then advanced into the finals due to an injury withdrawal. The McGuire-Lagerquist team then withdrew due to injury prior to the championship match.

Freshman Linnea Peters (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) and sophomore Kendra Tetrick (Beaver, Pa./Beaver) competed in the Blue 2 doubles draw and dropped their opening match to the Moravian team of Brittney Eady and Katie Zien, 8-5.

However, Peters and Tetrick rebounded to reach the semifinals of the consolation draw. They earned an 8-4 win over Bridgewater (Va.)'s Holly Knupp and Jessie Mitchell in the first round of consolations. After receiving a quarterfinal bye, Peters and Tetrick reached the semifinals before withdrawing.

Freshman Julie Becker (Kingsport, Tenn./Homeschooled) and junior Leah White (Ellicott City, Md./Howard) competed in the Blue 3 doubles tournament. In the quarterfinals, the Becker-White team fell to the eventual champions, Jackie Renninger and Rachel Yurchisin of Juniata, 8-2.

Becker and White dropped their consolation opener to Shenandoah's Megan Knapp and Charlotte Urian, 8-5.

Five Grove City competitors participated in singles play. McGuire opened play in the Blue 2 singles tournament with a 6-2, 6-2 setback to Johns Hopkins' Savanna Demonesquio, the eventual champion.

Lagerquist went 1-1 in the Blue 3 singles tournament. She opened with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Elizabethtown's Sarah Calabro. In the quarterfinals, Lagerquist dropped an 8-2 decision to Franklin & Marshall's Emily Gruenberg.

Tetrick reached the semifinals in Blue 4 singles. She picked up a 6-3, 6-2 win over Moravian's Venuti in the first round and then pulled out an 8-5 quarterfinal victory over Goucher entry Emily Ruff.

Tetrick then dropped an 8-3 decision to Bridgewater's Marla O'Bryan in the semifinal round.

Peters advanced to the Blue 5 singles semifinals. After earning a 6-1, 7-5 victory in the opening round against Christopher Newport's Anna Chekalkina, Peters rolled past Roanoke's Emma Barker in the quarterfinals, 8-2. Peters then fell to Swarthmore's Abigail Schmidt in the semifinal round, 8-2.

White and Becker both competed in the Blue 6 singles tournament. White opened the draw with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Goucher's Hanora Barron. In the quarterfinals, she topped Shenandoah's Kari Lamboni, 8-3. White then fell in the semifinals to Methodist's Stephanie Hunter, 8-1.

Becker dropped a 6-4, 5-7, 10-7 match to Elizabethtown's Nicole Snitzer in the first round. Becker rebounded for three wins in the consolation bracket, however. She earned an 8-4 win over Penn State Harrisburg's Amanda Herr and then received a quarterfinal bye.

In the consolation semifinals, Becker ousted Muhlenberg's Jenny Levenson, 8-3. Becker then fell in the finals to Juniata's Mistuki Koh.

Inclement weather interrupted the tournament schedule throughout the weekend.

Grove City returns to Presidents' Athletic Conference play Tuesday afternoon with a 4 p.m. match at Westminster.

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