Not-yet-ready-for-primetime Panthers lose three at Indoor Championships
ST. PETER, Minn. – Chapman University's nationally-ranked women's tennis team received a rude welcoming in its first national tournament since being ranked over the past three years. The No. 13 Panthers were swept out of the building at the ITA Division III National Indoor Championships on Friday and Saturday in St. Peter, Minnesota. Chapman was one of eight teams – all ranked in the top-15 in Division III – invited to participate and placed eighth in the event.
#4 Chicago 8, #13 Chapman 1
Chapman was nearly swept in its first match of the tournament if it wasn't for the efforts of sophomore Genna Ford. The sophomore was pushed all the way to the brink in the sixth-seed singles match, when she finally broke away with a decisive 10-3 victory in the super tiebreaker. Chicago controlled the rest of the matches with Chapman's first seed, senior Liz Lewis, losing a three-set battle 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 1-0 (10-6). Chicago went on to finish second in the tournament.
#10 Washington 6, #13 Chapman 3
The Panthers took two out of three in the doubles matches, but were plagued by only winning one of their six singles matches. The lone singles victory again came from Ford, this time as the fifth seed, taking down Washington's Chelsea Mixson in straight sets 6-2, 6-3. Chapman's doubles highlights included a 9-7 victory from the top-seeded Lewis and partner Kelley Fox. Sophomore Candace Scholler and junior Cassady Sirois also earned an 8-3 win in the third-seeded match.
#15 Depauw 5, #13 Chapman 4
Chapman's final match was its closest of the weekend. Lewis was able to capture her first singles victory of the tournament defeating Depauw's top seed Jenelle Arita, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Sirois also won her first match of the weekend from the sixth spot in the lineup in straight sets 6-3, 7-5 over the Tigers' Elizabeth Young. Ford continued her hot play with her fourth consecutive singles win overall, a three-sets victory against Depauw's Katie Regan, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2. The sophomore currently leads the Panthers with an 8-2 record this year.
Prior to splitting the singles matches, the Panthers were edged out losing two of three doubles matches. The only Panthers' doubles win came from the freshman pairing of Kelley Klebenow and Danielle Kaiden handing its second-seed opponent, Tricia Wilks and Lizzy Whitlatch an 8-3 defeat.
by Robert Flicker
Sports Information Intern
Tournament Results: https://gustavus.edu/athletics/wt/archives/2011/2011ITA.php