Tartans Succeed at Kenyon Invitational

(GAMBIER, Ohio) – The Carnegie Mellon University women's tennis team traveled to Gambier, Ohio, for the Kenyon College Invitational on Saturday, September 15 and Sunday, September 16.

Freshman Janabelle Wu (San Jose, Calif. / Lynbrook) earned a 6-4, 6-1 victory against Lauren Corcoran of Ohio Wesleyan University before falling 6-2, 6-4 to Laura Isbey of West Virginia State University. In the same flight, freshman Danna Taylor (Orlando, Fla. / Circle Christian School) fell 6-3, 6-3 to Lauren O'Malley of John Carroll University but returned with a 6-1, 6-3 win against Kenyon's Erika Oku. Taylor went on to win the consolation final, 6-1, 6-2, against Corcoran.

In Flight B, freshman Victoria Chang (Dublin, Ohio / Dublin Jerome) opened play with two wins on Saturday. Chang first defeated Emma Alsup of Denison University, 7-5, 6-3, before displacing Maggie Sweeney of Kenyon, 6-4, 6-3. Chang fell in the final to Kierstin Hensley of West Virginia State University in three sets, 6-2, 0-6, 1-0 (14-12).

Freshman Beata Liberchuk (Edgewater, N.J. / Dwight-Englewood) faced Alsup in the consolation final of Flight B, winning in three sets, 2-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-7).

Sophomore Alex Iordache (Princeton, N.J. / South Brunswick) played in the finals of Flight C against Ilana Blackwood of Kenyon. Iordache won the final by a 7-6, 6-2 score. Iordache advanced to the finals with a 6-3, 6-4 win in the first round and a three-set victory, 4-6, 6-1, 1-0 (10-6), against Abigail Kent of Centre College.

Also playing in Flight C was freshman Lindy Cornwall (Poway, Calif. / Poway). The first-year athlete won her first match, 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (10-5) against Denison's Megan Hickey before falling to Blackwood, 6-4, 6-4.

Freshman Ola Wojciak (Holmdel, N.J. / Holmdel) played in the consolation finals of Flight D winning, 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (10-2) while sophomore Elizabeth Shulz (Fresno, Calf. / Clovis North) fell in the consolation finals of Flight F, after two tiebreaker sets to Ceylan Can of Kenyon.

In doubles play, senior Marina Selenica (Birmingham, Mich. / Detroit Country Day School) and Liberchuk advanced to the finals of Flight B with a pair of 9-8 wins. They then defeated Blackwood and Daria Beshentseva, 9-7, in to take first place.

Wu and Iordache won 9-7 in the consolation finals over a pair from Kenyon. Cornwall and Wojciak paired up to win in the consolation finals of Flight C, 8-5, against a pair from West Virginia State.

The Tartans will next compete at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Southeast Regional Tournament on Saturday, September 22 through Monday, September 24.