Lynchburg, Va.—The Sweet Briar Vixens keep it close to home this weekend as the team participates in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Individual tennis tournament. The tournament is hosted this year by Lynchburg College with the assistance of Randolph College, utilizing the 12 tennis courts at E.C. Glass high school in Lynchburg, Va.
With weather cooperating to provide near-perfect conditions for tennis, matches were competitive and timely with the first day's play ending ahead of schedule at 4:30 p.m.
There were seven separate flights of singles, each flight representing a position within a team line-up. Four separate flights were played for doubles teams. Both singles and doubles provide a minimum of two playing opportunities by playing a consolation bracket if there is a loss in the main draw first round of play. The main draw decides first and second place; the back draw (consolations) determine third and fourth place.
Among several Sweet Briar highlights for the day, senior Rachel Sullivan (McLean, Va.) brought home two wins in flight seven. First, by beating Shauna-Lee Smith of Hollins University in an exciting battle of wills. Sullivan lost the first set 3-6, rallied steadily to win the second set 6-2, and proceeded to take the win in the match tie-breaker by a score of 10-1. This victory advanced Sullivan into the championship round for flight #7 against Jena Lytle of Emory and Henry. Sullivan won in straight sets with scores of 6-2, 6-4.
Sweet Briar first and second singles players Virginia Edahl ('10/Charlotte, N.C.) and Krista Maldonado ('12/Ennis, Texas) won their first rounds decisively. Edahl beat Randoph College's Iliana Carrasquillo, 6-1, 6-1. Maldonado defeated Krysten Bishop of Lynchburg College, 6-2, 6-1.
Edahl lost her second singles match to a steady Hollins player Maggie Bai 5-7, 2-6. Maldonado played strong against Washington and Lee's Lauren Lukas with a deceptive score of 0-6, 1-6.
The two Vixens paired up for doubles in the number one position against Randolph College players Carrasquilla-Clare, taking the match with solid teamwork and tough angles for a score of 8-3. Edahl and Maldonado will face the W & L team of Tabb-Morris on Sunday in the semi-final match.
Singles flight #3 paired Sweet Briar first-year player Ellen Reid (Germanton, N.C.) against Guilford College player Hillary Routon. Scores were 1-6, 3-6. Reid shook off the loss by playing consistent tennis against Jessica Williams from Emory and Henry, victorious in straight sets 6-2, 6-3. Reid will play in the consolation finals Sunday against Emory and Henry's Jessica Williams.
Position #4 had Sweet Briar player Leslie Polaski ('10/Amherst, Va.) against W & L player Ann Morris. Morris won 6-0, 6-0. Polaski went into the consolation bracket for round two and played Shantel Rivera of Randolph College, winning handily 6-3, 6-0. Polaski will play for third place on Sunday against Guilford's Megan Fair.
Polaski-Reid are paired as Sweet Briar's number two doubles team and faced W & L team of Sadler-Lukas, losing 0-8. The Sweet Briar pair will face Rivera-Keebler of Randolph in Sunday's backdraw match.
Ebie Baker ('10/Farmville, Va.) played in flight #5 and drew Hollins' Katie Dotson. Baker rallied effectively from the baseline with occassional close-outs at the net to beat Dotson 7-5, 6-2. Baker advanced to the second round and met up with Jen Snyder of W & L. Snyder won, 6-0, 6-0.
Also in flight #5 was Alex Williams, a first-year player from Buena Vista, Va. Also against a tought W & L player Lauren Patillo, Williams went down in straight sets, 0-6, 0-6. Williams then played in the backdraw against Paulette Wyatt from Guilford, Wyatt taking the match 6-2, 6-1.
Sweet Briar's Jessica Draper ('10/Farmville, Va.) drew yet another W & L player in Sarah Offut and played some impressive points throughout the match. Offut won 6-3, 6-1, sending Draper to the consolation round to win over Kaylee Gallant of Emory & Henry, 6-4, 6-2. Draper plays for third place on Sunday against Guilford's Sarah Gehring.
The doubles team of Draper-Baker couldn't keep together against the Hollins team of Dotson-Coyne and lost 0-8. The Vixens #3 doubles team will play in the final of the consolation round against Guilford's team of Wyatt-Gehring.
In the fourth doubles position, Sweet Briar's Sullivan-Williams doubles team lost to E & H team of Galliant-Lytle, 2-8, but will play for the consolation championship of flight four against the Hollins team of Evans-Smith on Sunday.
Second and final day of play begins at 10 a.m. Sunday at E.C. Glass high school in Lynchburg.
