May 20, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Freshman Kristy Frilling advanced to the second round of the NCAA Singles Championships Wednesday with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Florida State’s Katie Rybakova at the Mitchell Tennis Center on the campus of Texas A&M University.
The 38th-ranked Frilling jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Rybakova was able to win a game. Frilling won the next three points to take the first set, 6-1. The second set played out much like the first with Frilling earning a 6-2 victory.
Frilling’s second round opponent will be a familiar one as she is set to take on Clemson’s 14th-ranked Josipa Bek on Thursday. Frilling and Bek met at No. 2 singles in the NCAA round of 16. Frilling pulled off the biggest upset of her career when she defeated Bek, 6-2, 6-1, and helped the Irish advance to the quarterfinals and eventually a semifinal match.
Senior Kelcy Tefft was not as lucky in the first round, falling to Miami’s No. 24 Laura Vallverdu, 6-1, 6-4. After a tough 6-1 first-set loss, Tefft battled throughout the second set. Tefft tied the match at 1-1, before eventually taking a 3-2 lead. Vallverdu won the next three games to pull away, but Tefft fought to close the match to 5-4. Vallverdu took the final point for the win.
Tefft finished the season with a 29-15 singles record and sits in fourth on the Irish career singles wins list.
Although her singles season may be complete, Tefft’s career with the Irish is not yet over. She will team up with Frilling as the second-seeded doubles duo in the NCAA Doubles Championship. Tefft and Frilling will take on Georgia Tech’s Irina Falconi and Amanda McDowell Thursday in the first round of the doubles tournament.
Live video and stats will be available at www.aggieathletics.com.
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