Cary, N.C.–Sweet Briar College tennis players completed their first fall tournament hosted by Meredith College. The tournament site was at the Cary Tennis Center with participating schools Peace College, Methodist University, and North Carolina Central University in addition to Sweet Briar and Meredith Colleges.
In the championship final of the main draw “C” Flight of the tournament, Sweet Briar first year player Ellen Reid (‘12/Germanton, N.C.) gutted out three sets, with a wrapped sprained ankle, against hard hitting sophomore Molly Parks from Meredith College. Reid’s consistent serving and baseline play helped her to win the first set 6-2. Parks rallied back to win the second set in a tie-breaker 6-7 (5). Reid regained match momentum by taking the lead from 3-4 down to win the next three games for a third set score of 6-4 to win her first collegiate tournament.
The doubles team of Ebie Baker (‘11/Farmville, Va.) and senior Stephanie Nance (Moneta, Va.) were victorious in two rounds of play today to take the flight “B” Doubles Consolation Championship. Both Baker and Nance played with effective doubles strategy to beat the NCCU team of McRae-Spain in the semifinals with a pro-set score of 8-5. Their final matched them against a consistent Peace College team of Lamb-Trogden for a solid 8-4 win.
The semifinal match of the “A” Consolation flight between Sweet Briar’s Krista Maldonado (‘12/Ennis, Texas) and Medina from Methodist University started out with great exchanges from both players. Due to an inflamed arm injury, Maldonado retired at 1-4 in the first set.
Sweet Briar junior Jessica Draper (Farmville, Va.) rallied strong in some long points against a very consistent opponent in Monica Medina from NCCU in this “B” Flight Consolation final. Although she played with great effort and improving consistency, Velasquez held on for the win in straight sets 6-0, 6-3
The Sweet Briar College tennis team will travel on Friday Sept. 26 to Fredericksburg, Va. for play in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s (ITA) Southeast Region Individual Tennis Championships being held at the University of Mary Washington.
