Nov. 10, 2012
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team concluded a strong day one Friday at the WMU Super Challenge inside the West Hills Athletic Club. The three-day tournament is hosted by Western Michigan University and is an Intercollegiate Tennis Association sanctioned event. The Fighting Irish were victorious in four of the seven singles flights and advanced toward the championship round in two of the three doubles flights.
No. 106 Jennifer Kellner (Smithtown, N.Y.) took control of her first singles match early and never showed signs of defeat cruising to a 6-0, 6-3 finish over Nikki Chiricosta from Bowling Green. Kellner will battle No. 50 Leslie Hurea from Indiana University in the semifinals Saturday. Hurea earned her spot in the next round by defeating Erin Gebes 6-0, 6-0.
Freshman Quinn Gleason (Mendon, N.Y.) overcame a tightly contested first set (7-5) against Ksenia Pronina from Iowa State. Gleason found her rhythm in the second set sealing the deal with a 6-0 victory. The Notre Dame newcomer will face Louisville’s Rebecca Shine in the next round. Shine barely escaped defeat in her opening round winning by decision of a tie-breaker (4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (7-4).
Sophomore Molly O’Koniewski (Hilton Head, S.C.) defeated Maddie Eccleston from Bowling Green in the fourth flight of singles play after dropping her first set (6-7 (7-5), finding the equalizer in the second set (6-4) and finishing off the match 1-0 (7-4) in the tie-breaker. O’Koniewski moves on to face Sophie Garre from Indiana University. Garre took 10 of the 12 games in her opening round contest.
Junior JoHanna Manningham (Mishawaka, Ind.) defeated Iowa State’s Caroline Hauge Andersen in a hard fought nine point game tie-breaker during the fifth singles flight 7-5, 4-6, 1-0 (9). Manningham will face Mary Hill from Bowling Green Saturday in the semifinals.
Kellner teamed up with senior Chrissie McGaffigan (Davenport, Iowa) in the first doubles flight and defeated host Western Michigan’s Jill Pastunink and Kathleen Hawkins 9-7. The pair will face Louisville’s Manuela Velasquez and Julia Fellerhoff in the next round.
Gleason and sophomore Katherine White (Columbus, Ga.) defeated Mandy Brown and Stefanie Villajuan from Louisville 9-7. Gleason and White matched their first round score of 9-7 as the duo rolled passed Carmen Sandor and Sarah Henderson from Penn St. Gleason and White will battle Carolyn Chupa and Katie Klyczek (Indiana) in the championship match.
Stay tuned to UND.com for full post match results and coverage of the WMU Super Challenge.
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