Lady'Backs advance at William & Mary Tribe Classic

WILLIAMSBURG, Va – Junior Aurelija Miseviciute led the charge into the semifinals winning both of her singles matches and her lone doubles match as the Arkansas Lady Razorback tennis team opened first round play at the William & Mary Tribe Invitational.

“This has definitely been one of the best days of a fall tournament in a long time,” said head coach Michael Hegarty of the Lady’Backs impressive run.

Miseviciute, along with seniors Maryori Franco and Audrey Bordeleau, and sophomore Melissa Hoffmeister each won two matches in singles play to advance to the semifinals in their respective groups.

In Flight A, Miseviciute swarmed past Melissa Saiontz of Princenton 6-1, 6-2, and Elizabeth Plotkin of Duke 7-5, 6-0 to put herself into the semifinals tomorrow. Franco was very impressive in Flight B by sweeping Julia Koulbitskaya of Penn 6-0, 6-0 in straight sets in the quarterfinals, after defeating Jana Kubickova of Old Dominion in the first round.

Bordeleau had no problem winning her two matches in Flight D against Barbara Zidek of William & Mary 6-1, 6-3 and Vera Petrashevitch of Virginia Commonwealth 7-6, 6-1. Hoffmeister defeated Kassie Moore of Marshall in the first round, then lost her first set in the quarterfinals 2-6 to Elizabeth Young of Cincinnati, before winning straight sets 7-6, 7-5 to advance to the semifinals.

Doubles action only played into the quarterfinals Friday, as Franco and junior Nanar Airapetian along with Miseviciute and junior Ela Kaluder, advance to play tomorrow.

In Flight A doubles, Franco and Airapetian, ranked No. 25 in the nation in doubles, finished off Haarhoff and Kubickova of Old Dominion 8-5, while the No. 57 ranked pair, Miseviciute and Kaluder, made easy work of Ashley and Huah of Princeton 8-1, to push them into a quarterfinal match.

In other singles play, Kaluder fought back to win her first match of the day in Flight A over Pamela Duran of Richmond 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 before losing to Kellie Schmitt of Marshall 6-4, 6-3 in the quarterfinals. Airapetian was able to defeat Maggie MacKeever of Maryland 7-5, 6-4 before losing to Virginia’s Amanda Rales 6-4, 7-6(2) in the quarterfinals. Freshman Delia Damaschin lost her first match of her collegiate career to Laura Burns of Virginia Commonwealth, but bounced back immediately to gain her first win with a victory over Katharine Attwell of Boston College 6-4, 6-4 in the consolation bracket.

The only other doubles team for the Lady’Backs was that of Bordeleau and Damaschin who lost their first match 8-4 at the hands of Kasztelaniec and Zidek of William & Mary, but will continue action in the consolation bracket tomorrow.

“Competition here is very stiff, and this team was able to go 13-4, that’s very impressive,” Hegarty said.

“The key is to turn around and play strong tomorrow in semifinals and quarterfinals play.”

For more information on the results of the William & Mary Tribe Classic and breaking Lady’Back tennis news, stay tuned to LADYBACKS.com

Flight A Singles

Ela Kaluder (Ark) def. Pamela Duran (Richmond) – 4-6, 6-2, 6-1

#2 Aurelija Miseviciute (Ark) def. Melissa Saiontz (Princeton) – 6-1, 6-2

Quarterfinals

#3 Kellie Schmitt (Marshall) def. Ela Kaluder (Ark) – 6-4, 6-3

#2 Aurelija Miseviciute (Ark) def. Elizabeth Plotkin (Duke) – 7-5, 6-0

Flight B Singles

Mayori Franco (Ark) def. Jana Kubickova (ODU) – 6-2, 6-2

Quarterfinals

Mayori Franco (Ark) def. Julia Koulbitskaya (Penn) – 6-0, 6-0

Flight C Singles

Nanar Airapetian (Ark) def. Maggie MacKeever (Maryland) – 7-5, 6-4

Quarterfinals Amanda Rales (UVA) def. Nanar Airapetian (Ark) – 6-4, 7-6 (2)

Flight D Singles

Audrey Bordeleau (Ark) def. Barbara Zidek (W&M) – 6-1, 6-3

Laura Burns (VCU) def. Delia Damaschin (Ark) – 7-6, 6-3

Quarterfinals Audrey Bordeleau (Ark) def. Vera Petrashevitch (VCU) – 7-6, 6-1

Consolation Quarterfinals

Delia Damaschin (Ark) def. Katharine Attwell (BC) – 6-4, 6-4

Flight E Singles

Melissa Hoffmeister (Ark) def. Kassie Moore (Marshall) – 6-4, 6-3

Quarterfinals

Melissa Hoffmeister (Ark) def. Elizabeth Young (Cincinnati) – 2-6, 7-6, 7-5

Flight A Doubles

# 1 Airapetian/Franco (Ark) def. Haarhoff/Kubickova (ODU) – 8-5

#3 Misevicute/Kaluder (Ark) def. Ashley/Huah (Princeton) – 8-1

Flight B Doubles

Kasztelaniec/Zidek (W&M) def. Bordeleau/Damaschin (Ark) – 8-4