Tartan Women's Tennis Starts Season with Home Invitational

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's tennis team began the season with an open invitational with Duquesne University and California University of PA on Friday, September 6 and Saturday, September 7.

The Tartans earned two out of three doubles victories and five singles victories against Duquesne on Friday evening.

Freshman Vanessa Pavia (Thornwood, N.Y./Academy of our Lady of Good Counsel) paired with junior Angela Pratt (Saratoga, Calif./St. Francis) to defeat Alexa Miller and Sarah Shashura in a tiebreaker 9-8 (5) while sophomores Brooke Tsu (Hillsborough, Calif./Burlingame) and Elizabeth Martin (St. Simons Island, Ga./Frederica Academy) defeated Judy Li and Chandler Consonery 8-5.

In singles, Pratt won 8-4 over Shashura with freshman Shaan Phagura (Castro Valley, Calif.) winning 8-4 over Spencer Caravaggio. Junior Bryn Raschke (Del Mar, Calif./Torrey Pines) defeated Alrissa Tobe of Duquense 8-2 while Martin won 8-4 over Megan Wasson and sophomore Abbey Hamstra (Wheatfield, Ind./Kankakee Valley) won 8-4.

On Saturday, California (Pa.) joined the Tartans and Duquesne.  Carnegie Mellon won four double matches.  Pratt was part of two of the Tartan wins with her first coming by teaming with Tsu as the tandem downed Li and Zuzanna Stelmaszak of Duquesne 8-1.  Pratt then paired with Martin and won 8-5 over Sarinana and Mikulis of Duquesne. The Tartans success over Duquesne in doubles play continued, as Raschke teamed with freshman Nicholle Torres (Hillsborough, Calif./Burlingame) to defeat Miller and Shashura 8-6 while Hamstra and freshman Margaret Anne Smith (Singapore/Singapore American School) were 8-4 winners over Tobe and Mastromarino.

In singles play on Saturday, Pavia was the lone Tartan to claim a victory.  The freshman won 6-4 over Lucie Rey of California.  All the single matches on Saturday by the Tartans were sets instead of prosets.

Carnegie Mellon will be back on the courts on Friday, September 13 when they entertain Grove City at 4:30 p.m.