Evansville, Ind. The Western Kentucky University women's tennis team opened up its 2008 fall campaign at the Evansville Aces fall classic over the weekend. In Flight A Singles, the Lady Toppers racked up two wins, one coming from Marlou Van Bussel and the other from Marija Duran.
Van Bussel lost her first match against Alexandra Sinkikova of Eastern Kentucky, but quickly bounced back with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Michelle Girgenti of Southern Indiana. Her run came to an end when she lost 6-2, 6-2 in the semi-finals of the back draw to Mariana Pagan of Austin Peay. Duran started off with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Madeleinne Antero of Morehead State. In the qaurterfinals she met Svetlana Pimenova of Eastern Kentucky, where she was defeated 6-4, 6-2.
Van Bussel and Duran finished 1-2 in the Flight A singles bracket.
In Flight B Singles action, WKU failed to win a match. Margot Van Bussel had a bye before meeting Pin Sorensen of Evansville. Sorensen won the match 6-3, 6-1. In the back draw, Van Bussel suffered a loss from Heather Butt of Morehead State, 6-3, 6-3. Carrie True also had a first round bye, before losing to Theadora Kotsiou of Evansville 6-4, 6-1. In the back draw, True met Meg Rozboril of Morehead State, losing 6-2, 6-3.
Flight C Singles offered WKU more success. Frances Trigg won her first match 7-5, 7-6(5) before losing 6-2, 6-1 to Lauren Delaney of Morehead State in the quarterfinals. However, Trigg won out the back draw, defeating Mary Lefler 3-6, 6-2, 10-5 in the semifinals before a forfeit from Murray State's Alix Lakow gave Trigg the back draw championship. Jessi Brown went 0-2 in the Flight, losing to Jennie LaBonte of Southern Indiana and Mary Lefler of Austin Peay.
The Lady Toppers claimed two more back draw championships in Flight's A and B doubles action. The Van Bussel tandem of WKU in Flight A doubles action, and the team of Djuran and True in Flight B. Van Bussel and Van Bussel lost their first match to Alexandra Rydberg and Meg Rozboril of Morehead State before defeating Girgenti and Reilly Ackerman of Southern Indiana 8-2 for the back draw title.
Djuran and True lost their first round match to Sorensen and Ashton Schwerin of Evansville 8-2. The two met Gretchen Cantwell and Katie Clagg of Southern Indiana in the back draw final, winning by a score of 8-6.
In Flight C doubles competition, WKU's Trigg and Brown teamed up to advance to the finals of the main draw. The team received a first round bye before defeating Myriem Mhirit of Eastern Kentucky, and Mary Johnson of Southern Indiana, who teamed up in doubles play despite attending separate universities. In the final, Lakow and Antero of Morehead State were too much for Trigg and Brown, defeating the WKU duo 8-0 to win the Flight C doubles competition.
WKU
