Cowgirl Tennis Heads to Lakewood Ranch

Nov. 5, 2012

STILLWATER -

Cowgirls to Compete at Dick Vitale Intercollegiate Clay Court Classic

Oklahoma State’s women’s tennis team will wrap up its fall schedule this weekend as it travels to Sarasota, Fla., to compete in the Dick Vitale Intercollegiate Clay Court Classic at Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club.

The tournament is scheduled to begin this Friday, Nov. 9, and wrap up Sunday, Nov. 11. It will feature a 32 player singles draw and 16 team doubles draw in men’s and women’s divisions. The Dick Vitale Intercollegiate Clay Court Classic is the only college tournament in the country hosting both men’s and women’s divisions at the same time. It is also the only clay court college tournament in the country. Oklahoma State’s men’s tennis team will be making the trip to Sarasota as well to compete in the men’s division of the tournament.

Last Time Out

Last month, the Cowgirls were in Tulsa, Okla., to compete in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Central Region Championships. The team came out strong in the first day of the singles and doubles main draws, losing only one of its 11 matches. On the second day of the tournament, however, two of the three Cowgirls remaining in singles competition would fall. OSU’s Meghan Blevins eliminated fellow Cowgirl Malika Rose in the tournament’s round of 16 in three sets 2-6, 7-5, 6-2. C.C. Sardinha was also defeated in day two of competition, falling in the round of 16 to Nebraska’s Stefanie Weinstein 6-3, 6-3. Blevins would end her run in the quarterfinals where she was defeated by the tournament’s top seed, and eventual champion, Petra Niedermayerova of Kansas State. Maria Alvarez was eliminated from the main draw in the first round, but made it to the quarterfinals of the consolation bracket, where she was defeated by Natallia Pintusava of Minnesota 2-6, 6-1 (10-1).

Both Cowgirl doubles teams would make it as far as the quarterfinals before being eliminated from competition. The top-seeded tandem of Malika Rose and Kanyapat Narattana were upset by the eighth-seeded team of Tulsa’s Samantha Vickers and Isaura Enrique 8-2. Vickers and Enrique would go on to win the tournament’s doubles title. Sardinha and Blevins fought hard, but fell 9-7 against Melanie Delstart and Anastacia Simons.

From Coach Chris Young

On the Dick Vitale Intercollegiate Clay Court Classic:

“This tournament has been a great event for our team the past two years, and our girls are looking forward to a great weekend. Our team has prepared well, and I am excited to see our results against a very strong field.”

Cowgirls in the Rankings

The Cowgirl doubles team of Rose and Narattana will head to the Dick Vitale Intercollegiate Clay Court Classic sitting at No. 14 in the ITA women's doubles rankings. In the singles rankings, Rose holds the No. 101 spot, and C.C. Sardinha is ranked No. 97.

Eyeing the Opponents

The Dick Vitale Intercollegiate Clay Court Classic features one of the most talented fields that the Cowgirls have competed in this fall. The field includes Notre Dame, Mississippi State, Northwestern, Tennessee, Miami (FL), Memphis, Alabama, and two-time defending national champion Florida. The teams competing in the tournament combine to feature 20 singles players and ten doubles teams ranked in the ITA preseason rankings.

SINGLES

Alabama No. 10 Mary Anne Macfarlane

No. 36 Alexa Guarachi

Florida No. 6 Lauren Embree

No. 32 Sofie Oyen

No. 49 Alex Cercone

No. 78 Caroline Hitimana

Memphis No. 21 Courtney Collins

No. 65 Stefanie Mikesz

No. 115 Tiffany Welcher

Miami No. 64 Lina Lileikite

Mississippi State No. 122 Alexandra Perper