Women’s tennis successful at NYSWCAAs, places fifth

The RPI women’s tennis team enjoyed a lot of success at the New York State Women’s Collegiate Athletic Association Championship Tournament. Although none of the Red Hawk women were ranked, many pulled through and two players—Dorte Knudsen and Raimi Ishikawa—advanced to the semi-final rounds before being eliminated.

Knudsen, the top RPI singles player, defeated Beth Muller of Oneonta St. 6-2, 6-1 to advance to the second round. She then faced fourth seeded Dawn Penniston of Skidmore. Although the underdog, Knudsen upset Penniston in three sets, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. Knudsen then faced the top seeded Lauren Stellato from Union. Stellato proved to be a tough opponent, and although Knudsen played well, she fell 7-5, 7-5.

Ishikawa had similar success in the fourth singles flight. In the first round, she faced the third ranked Jennifer Hume of RIT. Again, the underdog RPI player won, taking the match 6-4, 7-6 (9-7). Ishikawa then played Heather Spann of Ithaca, and defeated her 6-4, 6-2. Ishikawa, having reached the semi-finals, caught up with Jessica Shoffler, the first seeded player from Vassar. Shoffler proved to be too much of a challenge for the sophomore, winning 6-1, 6-2.

The only other RPI players to advance past the first round were Kristen Powers and the team of Victoria Gardener and Ishikawa. Powers defeated Sara Rula of RIT 6-1, 6-4, but lost to fourth seeded Ginger Pearson 7-6 (7-2), 6-0. Gardener and Ishikawa beat the team of Sudarsanan and Leung from Geneseo 8-4, but fell to the second seeded team of Weldon and Teague of Vassar 8-3.

All the other RPI women failed to make it out of the first round. Annie Erdekian, playing in the third flight, was defeated by the fourth seeded Tess Coverman, 6-3, 6-1. Gardener, in the fifth flight, was beaten 6-1, 6-1 by Sudarsanan, and Carol Young, the fourth seed from NYU, beat RPI’s Danielle Kocher in the sixth flight 6-0, 7-6 (7-3). The first flight doubles team of Knudsen and Erdekian was defeated 8-2 by NYU’s Dest and Hayes, and the third flight doubles team of Powers and Marinaro lost to RIT’s Hume and Schaltz 8-5.

The fifth-seeded Rensselaer team took fifth place overall, capping a successful season.