Tartans Open Season Hosting Annual Invitational

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - The Carnegie Mellon University women's tennis team began the 2019-20 campaign with its annual home invitational against Division I Duquesne University on Friday and Saturday.

Sophomore Danna Taylor (Orlando, Fla. / Circle Christian School) turned in a 5-1 mark in singles and doubles play over the two-day event, including wins in all three singles matches. Taylor started the event with a 9-8 (6) win over Margot Pessy. The sophomore then collected straight set wins over Laurel Shymansky and Meredith Lee. She topped Shymansky 7-6 (1), 6-4 and Lee 6-4, 6-3.

Taylor's two wins in doubles play came with different partners. She teamed with classmate Janabelle Wu (San Jose, Calif. / Lynbrook) to win 8-4 over Aishwarya Kona and Miranda Bishard. Her second doubles victory was with senior Courtney Ollis (Suffern, N.Y. / Suffern) where they defeated Pessy and Natasha Novak 8-2.

Wu was 3-1 for the invitational. Besides her win in doubles play with Taylor, the sophomore paired with sophomore Victoria Chang (Dublin, Ohio / Dublin Jerome) and won 8-6 Shymansky and Daniela Latoni. Her third win came in singles play, as she topped Priyanka Mitta 8-5 on Friday afternoon.

Freshman Lauren James (Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / Pine Crest School) recorded three wins in singles play. Her first was a 9-8 (5) decision over Novak before downing Mitta 0-6, 6-1, 1-0 (10-5) and Shymansky 6-3, 7-6 (5).

Ollis collected a second win in doubles play when she teamed with freshman Madeline Fidel (Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton North) and defeated Lee and Novak 8-3. Fidel, in her collegiate debut, picked up another win in doubles and one in singles play. Her doubles win came with senior Vinaya Rao (Vernon Hills, Ill. / Adlai E. Stevenson) where they won on a retirement. Her win in singles was a three-set victory, 6-0, 5-7, 1-0 (10-7), over Latoni.

The Tartans will next be in action on Saturday, September 14 at the Kenyon College Invitational.