Cary, NC–The Sweet Briar Tennis Team traveled to the Cary Tennis Center for first round individual tournament play at 4:00 p.m. Participating schools in addition to Sweet Briar and Meredith Colleges are Peace College, North Carolina Central University(NCCU), and Methodist College.
Singles wins go to two first year players from Sweet Briar. Alex Williams ('12/Buena Vista, Va.) who started her collegiate career with a solid win over Methodist College player Jessica Britt, losing only one game. Her scores were 6-0, 6-1.
Ellen Reid, ('12/Germantown, N.C.) dominated Peace College player Megan McDonald for her first collegiate match victory with scores of 6-1,6-1.
Both Williams and Reid will advance in the main draw of flight C on Saturday at Cary Tennis Center.
The doubles team of Caroline Blew ('12/Weston, Mass.) and Jessica Draper ('11/Farmville, Va.) worked together with a solid show of teamwork in beating the Peace College team of Katie Lamb and Jill Trogden, 8-3. The team of Ebie Baker and Stephanie Nance will play their first round in the "B" doubles flight Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m., following their singles play.
"A" flight doubles paired first-year player Krista Maldonado (Ennis, Texas) with returning player Leslie Polaski ('10/Amherst, Va.) to face the powerful Methodist team of Kaitlin Flaherty and Shannon Vivan, losing 2-8.
Flight A singles player Ebie Baker ('09/Farmville, Va.) lost to Meredith's Katheryn Maples, 6-0, 6-1. Senior Stephanie Nance (Moneta, Va.) was defeated by Meredith's Morgan Martin, 6-0, 6-0. Krista Maldonado, first year player from Ennis, Texas was beat 6-1, 6-0 by NCCU's Tatiana Velasquez.
In the B flight, Jessica Draper ('10/Farmville, Va.) lost to Methodist's Dana Powell, 6-0, 6-3. First-year player Caroline Blew (Weston, Mass) went down in straight sets 6-4, 6-3 to Meredith's Caitlin Dillon. Sweet Briar teammate Leslie Polaski also fell in straight sets to Methodist player Cameron Tinkham, 6-2, 6-0.
Players representing flight C for Sweet Briar were challenged by strong play from their opponents. Sweet Briar senior Rachel Sullivan (McLean, Va.) was swept in two sets 6-0, 6-0 by a hard-serving Molly Parks from Meredith College. Hillary Gildea ('12/Vienna, Va.) played in her first college match against Methodist player Allison Smith, who beat her 6-0, 6-0.
Play for these individual Sweet Briar players will continue in the consolation bracket on Saturday Sept. 20.
