Women?s Tennis Finishes Second at National Independent Tourney

Behind a solid performance by All-Tournament Team member Katrina Schwab (Spokane, Wash.), the Seattle University women's tennis team finished second at the National Independent Tournament over the weekend with a 4-0 victory over North Carolina Central Saturday and a 6-1 win over Winston-Salem State Sunday.

Against North Carolina Central Saturday morning, SeattleU picked up the doubles point as Schwab and Mikaela Peterson (Spokane, Wash.) won the first five games over Maria Medina and Tatiana Velasquez before the NCCU duo retired. In the number two doubles position, the team of seniors Whitney Cheng (Seattle, Wash.) and Audree Jenks (Albuquerque, N.M.) defeated Cameron Chatman and Ashley Rogers, 8-6, to clinch the first point for the Redhawks.

In singles, Cheng posted a straight-set victory over Rogers (6-2, 6-3), Steffanie Mortera (Portland, Ore.) defeated Velasquez in straight sets (6-4, 6-1), and Aya Sugimoto (Poulsbo, Wash.) did not lose a game in defeating Ashley McRae (6-0, 6-0). With Seattle University solidifying the team victory over North Carolina Central, the other matches were stopped to keep the tournament on schedule.

Saturday afternoon, SeattleU fell to host school and eventual tournament champion Longwood, 4-1, with the only Redhawk victory coming in the number two singles position when Schwab defeated Zsofia Jakab in straight sets (6-1, 6-3). The match was extremely competitive, as Longwood pulled out the three doubles sets for the first point, while Jenks and Cheng each won the second set of their singles matches before falling in the third set.

The Redhawks closed out the tournament by easily winning all three doubles sets against Winston-Salem State Sunday morning before picking up victories in five of the six singles matches. Sugimoto made a nice comeback from losing the first set to earn a victory over Chelsea Chatman at the number six singles position (2-6, 6-2, 6-1).

Schwab earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team by winning the two singles matches she completed as well as two of three doubles sets. Cheng and Jenks closed out their collegiate careers by teaming for an 8-3 doubles victory and posting individual straight-set wins in singles, with Jenks blanking Bianka Locklear of Winston-Salem State in her final singles competition.

The Seattle University women's tennis team finished the 2010 dual meet season with a 9-11 record, including two victories over Portland State and one over South Dakota. Although Cheng and Jenks will be leaving the program due to graduation, six players who made significant contributions to the squad are expected to return, giving head coach Mark Frisby an experienced squad to work with for the 2010-11 campaign.

Seattle University 4, North Carolina Central 0

SINGLES

1. Ariel Ohno (SU) vs. Olesya Palko (NCCU): 6-1, 6-5, unfinished
2. Katrina Schwab (SU) vs. Cameron Chatman (NCCU): 7-6, 1-3, unfinished
3. Audree Jenks (SU) vs. Kateryna Chorna (NCCU): 6-6, unfinished
4. Whitney Cheng (SU) def. Ashley Rogers (NCCU): 6-2, 6-3
5. Steffanie Mortera (SU) def. Tatiana Velasquez (NCCU): 6-4, 6-1
6. Aya Sugimoto (SU) def. Ashley McRae (NCCU): 6-0, 6-0

DOUBLES

1. Chorna/Palko (NCCU) def. Mortera/Ohno (SU): 8-4
2. Cheng/Jenks (SU) def. Chatman/Rogers (NCCU): 8-6
3. Schwab/Mikaela Peterson (SU) def. Velasquez/Maria Medina (NCCU): 5-0, retired

Longwood 4, Seattle University 1

SINGLES

1. Laura Simon (LU) def. Ariel Ohno (SU): 6-1, 6-2
2. Katrina Schwab (SU) def. Zsofia Jakab (LU): 6-1, 6-3
3. Marta Pinyol (LU) def. Audree Jenks (SU): 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
4. Mason Davis (LU) def. Whitney Cheng (SU): 6-1, 3-6, 6-1
5. Allie Shulman (LU) vs. Steffanie Mortera (SU): 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 4-4, unfinished
6. Hannah Hill (LU) vs. Aya Sugimoto (SU): 4-6, 3-1, unfinished

DOUBLES

1. Pinyol/Jakab (LU) def. Ohno/Mortera (SU): 9-8 (7-4)
2. Davis/Shulman (LU) def. Cheng/Jenks (SU): 8-4
3. Hill/Simon (LU) def. Schwab/Mikaela Peterson (SU): 8-6

Seattle University 6, Winston-Salem State 1

SINGLES

1. Sloane Holmes (WSSU) def. Ariel Ohno (SU): 1-2, retired
2. Katrina Schwab (SU) def. Kayla Carter (WSSU): 6-4, 6-2
3. Audree Jenks (SU) def. Bianka Locklear (WSSU): 6-0, 6-0
4. Whitney Cheng (SU) def. Johanna Nunez (WSSU): 6-3, 6-1
5. Steffanie Mortera (SU) def. Kalin Jarvis (WSSU): 6-2, 6-0
6. Aya Sugimoto (SU) def. Chelsea Chatman (WSSU): 2-6, 6-2, 6-1

DOUBLES

1. Cheng/Jenks (SU) def. Holmes/Locklear (WSSU): 8-3
2. Ohno/Mortera (SU) def. Carter/Jarvis (WSSU): 8-3
3. Schwab/Mikaela Peterson (SU) def. Chatman/Nunez (WSSU): 8-1