Racer Women's Tennis Plays Strong at Austin Peay

Friday, September 28

Clarksville, TN

TBA

Murray State

Austin Peay

9/30/2012 5:44:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Results (.pdf)

Murray State freshman Erin Patton won the “C” flight consolation at the Austin Peay Fall Invitational over the weekend to lead the Racers in their first action of the fall.

After dropping her first match on Friday to Eastern Kentucky's Milena Poffo 6-1 and 6-1, Patton responded in the consolation bracket winning back-to-back matches. Patton first defeated Southeast Missouri's Melissa Martin 6-0, 6-1 and then beat Evansville's Kelsey Costales 6-2 and 6-0.

Ashley Canty competed in Flight “A” for the Racers. Canty dropped her first match to Evansville's Natasha James, 6-3 and 6-2 and then was eliminated in consolation play by Monta Reinfelde of Western Kentucky, dropping the match 7-5, 6-3.

In Flight “B” Carla Suga advanced in an exciting first round victory over Eastern Kentucky's Saioa Oscoz. Suga won the three-set match 7-6, 4-6 and 12-10. In Suga's quarterfinal match, she was downed by Austin Peay's Silva, losing the match 7-5, 6-3. Megan Blue also competed in the second flight for MSU. Blue lost her opening match to Eastern Kentucky's Melissa Gerritsen, 6-4 and 7-5. Blue went on to lose in three sets in her consolation match to Lindsey Raymond of SIU Edwardsville. Set scores went 7-5, 3-6 and 12-10.

Caroylyn Heurth advanced to the semifinals of flight “C.” After recording a pair of 6-4, 6-3 victories over Jessica Courtnell of Southeast Missouri and then Western Kentucky's Caroline Barboza, Heurth bowed out to EKU's Carmen Rodriguez, 6-3 and 6-2.

Suzaan Stoltz competed in the “D” flight. Stoltz received a first round bye before being eliminated by Marcela Jimenez of Eastern Kentucky, losing 6-0, 6-1.

In doubles play, the team of Blue and Canty won their first round match of Flight “A” over Costales and James of Evansville, pulling out an 8-6 victory. Austin Peay's duo of Omeilla Di Salvo and Vanessa Tavares defeated Blue and Canty in the semifinals, 8-4.

The tandem of Patton and Suga played together in the “B” flight for Murray State and advanced to the semifinals. Patton and Suga won their first match over Carre and Tavares of Austin Peay, 8-5 and then lost to Jimenez and Labeja of EKU in the semis, 8-6. Huerth and Stoltz were the third duo for the Racers at the invitational and dropped their first match 8-2 to Mary Beth Gunn and Hitomi Naito.

“I'm proud of the way the girls competed this weekend,” said head coach Olga Elkin. “We had some nerves out there which was to be expected since it was our first tournament of the fall, but I saw a lot of good things this weekend and it gave us an idea of what we need to work more on individually.”

“It was good for us to get out there and play other people for the first time.”

The Racers will return to action in late October for their second tournament of the fall season as they travel to Hattiesburg, Miss., for the Southern Miss Invite.