University of Tennessee Athletics
ENCINA AND GRIFFITH ADVANCE IN adidas COLLEGIATE INVITAIONAL
September 27, 2003 | Women's Tennis
Sept. 27, 2003
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga.
Several University of Tennessee Lady Vols tennis players had strong showings on day two of the adidas Collegiate Invitational on Friday. Senior Tammy Encina and freshman Blakeley Griffith both advanced to the quarterfinals of their respective singles draws, while the tandem of Encina and sophomore Majen Immink rolled on to the quarterfinals of the doubles competition.
After a first-round bye, Encina, rated 27th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) preseason rankings, cruised by Duke's Tory Zawacki 6-0, 6-2 in the second round of the top singles draw. Zawacki had beaten No. 79 Shana McElroy of Wisconsin earlier in the day. Encina, seeded sixth in the tournament, will face No. 21 Julie Rotondi of Florida at 11:30 a.m. in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
Also in the top singles draw, Junior Ashley Robards started with a bang, taking out No. 42 Jessica Rush, the tournament's seventh seed, by a 6-2, 6-4 count in the first round on Friday morning. The win marked Robards' third victory over a ranked foe in three matches this year. Unfortunately, Robards' streak ended with 6-4, 6-3 loss to No. 63 Alicia Salas of Notre Dame in the second round. Robards will now face TCU's Saber Pierce at 8 a.m. on Saturday in the consolation second round.
Another Lady Vol in the top singles draw, sophomore Sabita Maharaj, recorded a 3-6, 6-0, 6-0 win over Notre Dame's Kristina Stastny in the first round. Maharaj then dropped a 7-5, 6-1 decision to No. 9 and second seed Amanda Johnson of Duke. Maharaj now faces Christian Thompson of Notre Dame at 8 a.m. on Saturday.
In the second draw of singles, Griffith continued the stellar start to her Lady Vol career, downing Nicole Beck of Wisconsin 6-4, 6-1 in the first round, then taking out Duke's J Goyer 7-6(3), 6-3 in the second round. Griffith now has a 5-0 record as a collegian. Also in the second draw of singles, three other Lady Vols recorded first-round wins before falling in the second round: sophomore Breanna Kray defeated Louisville's Natalie Laszkowski 6-4, 6-4, freshman Victoria Jones dropped the Cardinals' Kelly Taylor 6-1, 6-1 and junior Claudia Farace beat UL's Mackenzie Mekus 6-1, 6-1.
In the doubles competition, meanwhile, the second-seeded and 14th-ranked UT duo of Encina and Immink cruised to the quarterfinals with an 8-1 triumph over Liz Donohue and Kelly Nelson of Notre Dame.
The tournament will continue on Saturday with quarterfinals, semifinals and consolation bracket play, while the finals will take place on Sunday.
UT First Singles Draw Results for Fri., Sept. 26
#27 Tammy Encina (UT) first-round bye
Ashley Robards (UT) def. #42 Jessica Rush (Northwestern) 6-2, 6-4 (first round)
Sabita Maharaj (UT) def. Kristina Stastny (Notre Dame) 3-6, 6-0, 6-0 (first round)
#27 Tammy Encina (UT) def. Tory Zawacki (Duke) 6-0, 6-2 (second round)
#63 Alicia Salas (Notre Dame) def. Ashley Robards (UT) 6-4, 6-3 (second round)
#9 Amanda Johnson (Duke) def. Sabita Maharaj (UT) 7-5, 6-1 (second round)
UT Second Singles Draw Results for Fri., Sept. 26
Blakeley Griffith (UT) def. Nicole Beck (Wisconsin) 6-4, 6-1 (first round)
Victoria Jones (UT) def. Kelly Taylor (Louisville) 6-1, 6-1 (first round)
Andrea Yung (Northwestern) def. Erin Cohn (UT) 6-3, 6-1 (first round)
Breanna Kray (UT) def. Natalie Laszkowski (Louisville) 6-4, 6-4 (first round)
Claudia Farace (UT) def. Mackenzie Mekus (Louisville), 6-1, 6-1 (first round)
Karla Mancinas (TCU) def. Melinda Morrow (UT) 6-1, 6-1 (first round)
Blakeley Griffith (UT) def. J Goyer (Duke) 7-6(3), 6-3 (second round)
Boglarka Berecz (Florida) def. Victoria Jones (UT) 6-1, 6-1 (second round)
Catrina Thompson (Notre Dame) def. Breanna Kray (UT) 6-4, 6-4 (second round)
Kelly Nelson def. Claudia Farace (UT) 6-3, 6-0 (second round)
Christina Gogol (Louisville) def. Erin Cohn (UT) 6-0, 6-2 (consolation first round)
Glorianne Lopez (TCU) def. Melinda Morrow (UT) 6-4, 6-2 (consolation first round)
UT Doubles Results for Fri., Sept. 26
#14 Encina/Immink (UT) def. Liz Donahue/Kelly Nelson (Notre Dame) 8-1 (second round)
Cohn/Farace (UT) def. Paige Eber/Mackenzie Mekus (Louisville) 8-6 (consolation quarterfinals)
