Tartans Success Continues at ITA Southeast Regional

Tartans Success Continues at ITA Southeast Regional

(FREDERICKSBURG, Va.) – For the third straight year, the Carnegie Mellon University women's tennis team will have an ITA Southeast Regional Doubles Champion. On Sunday afternoon, the Cardinal and Gray had two pairs of teammates advanced to the championship final to be played Monday. The Tartans also had three advance to the semifinals of singles.

Sophomore Lindy Cornwall (Poway, Calif. / Poway) and freshman Bin Zheng (Miami, Fla. / Doral Academy) started play on Saturday with an 8-0 and 8-3 win to advance to the quarterfinals Sunday where they faced the top seeded tandem of Anjali Kashyap and Sophia Strickland of Johns Hopkins University. In the quarterfinal match, the Tartan duo was an 8-7 (7) winner and then topped the fifth seed, Claire Coleman and Abigail Moghtader of University of Mary Washington, 8-3, in the semifinals.

The bottom half of the bracket saw the tandem of senior Courtney Ollis (Suffern, N.Y. / Suffern) and sophomore Danna Taylor (Orlando, Fla. / Circle Christian School), who were seeded third, record 8-0 and 8-3 wins on Saturday to land a spot in the quarterfinals. In the pairs quarterfinal match, they topped teammates junior Alex Iordache (Princeton, N.J. / South Brunswick) and freshman Madeline Fidel (Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton North) 8-6, before winning by the identical score over Anjali Devireddy and Margo Gerke of Johns Hopkins in the semifinals.

In singles play, Taylor, senior Vinaya Rao (Vernon Hills, Ill. / Adlai E. Stevenson) and freshman Lauren James (Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / Pine Crest School) all advanced to the semifinals. In the top part of the bracket, Taylor, who is the top seed, will play James on Monday. Taylor advances to the semifinals with three straight set wins and a win by default due to an injury. In the quarterfinals, Taylor defeated the fifth seeded Taylor Garcia of Washington & Lee University, 6-4; 7-6(4).

James collected two straight set victories on Saturday and then topped Marta Mikos of Washington & Lee 6-2; 4-6; 6-3 to begin play on Sunday and land a spot in the quarterfinals. In her quarterfinal match, James defeated Emma Kassan of Swarthmore College, 6-3; 3-6; 6-3.

Rao advanced to the semifinals after defeating Iordache 6-1; 6-0 in the quarterfinals. The senior started play on Saturday with 6-1; 6-2 win over Jessica Liang of Johns Hopkins and a 6-3; 6-1 win over Lilian Horsley of Washington & Lee.

The doubles championship will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Monday followed with Taylor and James playing at 12:00 p.m. and Rao facing Coleman of Mary Washington also at 12:00 p.m.