#11 Tartans Advance to UAA Semifinal with 7-2 Win Over #18 Case Western Reserve

(ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla.) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's tennis team began the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship with a 7-2 win against No. 18 Case Western Reserve University on Thursday, April 20. The three-day event is being held at the Sanlando Park Tennis Complex in Altamonte Springs, Florida. The Tartans, ranked 11th nationally and the fourth seed for the tournament, are now 16-6 for the season.

Carnegie Mellon fell behind 2-1 following doubles play with the freshmen tandem of Vinaya Rao (Vernon Hills, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) and Courtney Ollis (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) claiming the Tartans lone point. The duo won 8-4 at second doubles.

Sophomore Jamie Vizelman (Highland Heights, Ohio/Mayfield) knotted the score at 2-2 with a 6-2, 6-3 straight set win at third singles. Rao then won 6-1, 6-2 at fourth singles before junior Cori Sidell (Redwood Shores, Calif./Carlmont) made the score 4-2 Carnegie Mellon with a 6-3, 6-0 victory in the second spot.  Ollis then won 6-4, 7-5 win at six singles. The freshman was down 5-4 before winning the last three games to seal the team victory.

Senior Nicholle Torres (Weston, Fla./Great Neck South) and junior Katie Lai (Hagatna, Guam/St. Andrew's Episcopal School) also picked up wins for the Tartans. Torres won 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 at first singles and Lai won at fifth singles, 7-5, 7-6 (6).

The Tartans advance to face top ranked Emory University on Friday, April 21 at 2:00 p.m. in Altamonte Spring, Florida.