Aztecs Women's Tennis Go 5-1 in First Day at NJCAA Tournament
The Pima Community College women's tennis team open up the round of 32 on Sunday at the NJCAA National Tournament in Tyler, TX and took control in its matches.
The Aztecs closed out the first day of competition tied for fourth place in the team standings out of 24 teams with a score of 10 points.
In singles competition, freshman Kelsey Brown (Ironwood Ridge HS) shut out Alesha Tripletti from Snead State Community College (AL) 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles. Brown moves on to play Amanda Alvarez-Bargueno from North Central Texas College in the round of 16.
Freshman Samantha Ruth (Catalina Foothills HS) won her No. 2 singles match over Madison Currie from Jones County Junior College (MS) 6-2, 6-1. Ruth will play No. 3 ranked Elizabeth Bagerbaseh from Tyler Junior College in the round of 16.
Freshman Fernanda Miller (Nogales HS) outplayed Jewel Ellis from the New Mexico Military Institute at No. 6 singles to win 6-0, 6-1. Miller will play an ACCAC conference rival in her round of 16 match against No. 2 ranked Maria Garduno from Mesa Community College.
Sophomore Noelle Karp (Catalina Foothills HS) dropped her No. 4 singles match to Maminiaina Rakotondrazafy from Seward County Community College (KS) 6-2, 6-4. Karp will play in the second round of the consolation bracket on Monday.
Sophomores Stephanie Nickles (Ironwood Ridge HS) and Ema Hernandez (Sunnyside HS) received byes to the round of 16. Nickles, at No. 4 singles, will play Yennifer Delgado from Seward County while Hernandez, at No. 5 singles, will face off against Jordyn Hull from Meridian Community College (MS).
In doubles competition, Brown and Ruth defeated Paige Gibson and Shelby Zachry from Meridian CC 6-3, 6-0 in their No. 1 doubles match. The duo will play No.1 ranked Maria Elena Medina Betancourt and Julia Sergheeva from North Central Texas College in the round of 16.
Hernandez and Karp won their No. 2 doubles match against Teso Coker and Mary Elizabeth Molly Seeland from the College of DuPage (IL) 6-3, 6-3. The Pima No. 2 doubles team will play the No. 5 ranked Anita Detlava and Mariya Yatsenko from St. Petersburg College (FL) in the round of 16.
The No. 3 doubles team of Nickles and Miller earned a bye to the round of 16 where they will play No. 3 ranked Amiena Houston and Maria Zubkova from the State College of Florida.
The second day of the NJCAA National Tournament begins tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m.
Keep track of team standings and results of each singles and double flight on the USTA website
Fernanda Miller/Photo by Ben Carbajal
