Tartans Open UAA Championship with 8-1 Victory

(ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla.) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's tennis team opened the University Athletic Association Women's Tennis Championship with a first round victory against the University of Rochester, 8-1. The Tartans, ranked seventh in the nation, are now 14-5 overall and move on to the semifinals.

The first to win on Thursday was junior Brooke Tsu (Hillsborough, Calif./Burlingame) and sophomore Nicolle Torres (Weston, Fla./Great Neck South) at third doubles. The pair won 8-1 before senior Angela Pratt (Saratoga, Calif./St. Francis) and sophomore Vanessa Pavia (Thornwood, N.Y./Academy of our Lady of Good Counsel) took the victory at second doubles by the same score. Senior Bryn Raschke (Del Mar, Calif./Torrey Pines) and freshman Cori Sidell (Redwood Shores, Calif./Carlmont) then completed the sweep with an 8-3 victory at first doubles.

Prior to the second of three rain delays, junior Abbey Hamstra (Wheatfield, Ind./Kankakee Valley) gave the Tartans a 4-0 lead with a 6-1, 6-2 victory at fifth singles. Senior Lydia Utkin (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) finished her sixth singles match quickly after the delay, winning 6-0, 6-0, to secure the team victory for the Tartans.

Tsu earned her second victory of the day when she won 6-0, 6-0 at third singles while her doubles partner, Torres, won at second singles 6-1, 6-2.

The final victory for the Tartans came via Sidell at fourth singles, as she won 6-4, 6-1.

Carnegie Mellon will now face the winner of third-seeded Washington University in St. Louis, ranked 11th in the nation, and sixth-seeded Brandeis University, ranked 27th in the nation, at 2:00 p.m. Friday, April 24.