The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Find First-Round Success In Top Flights At Chattanooga
9/30/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Sept. 30, 2011
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Three UAB women's tennis players in the top two singles flights won their opening matches Friday before falling in the second round at the UTC Steve Baras Fall Classic. The Blazers were competing for the first time this fall.
Senior Paula Alvarez in the top flight downed Murray State's Cassidy Cunitz 6-4, 6-1, while newcomers Isabel Fernandez and Rachel Daniell each opened with victories in the No. 2 singles flight.
Fernandez, a junior transfer from VCU who was seeded fourth in the flight, defeated Murray State's Jordana Klein 6-1, 6-4. Daniell, a freshman, topped Lipscomb's Jenny Borck 7-5, 6-3.
All three Blazers who won their opening matches went on to suffer a loss in the second round. Daniell put up the most impressive result in a losing effort, falling in a match tiebreaker to No. 2 seed Sara Lazarevic of Stetson. Alvarez lost in straight sets to the No. 3 seed in her flight.
Juniors Menanteau Moolman and Rachel Cohen also competed in singles action Friday with both falling in straight sets to seeded players in their respective draws. Moolman lost to second-seeded Diana Bukajeva of Stetson, while Cohen went down to No. 3 seed Ally Westling of Xavier in her flight. Both players will compete Saturday in consolation matches.
Two UAB doubles teams also took the court Friday. The duo of Daniell and Moolman, seeded second in their draw, took down Xavier's Natalie Handler and Daniella Patton by a score of 8-5 to advance in the main draw. The team of Alvarez and Fernandez dropped an 8-5 decision to Chattanooga's Alexa Flynn and Shaina Singh in the top doubles flight.
Cohen also competed in doubles, teaming with Sam Bowman of Lipscomb. The pair opened with an 8-4 loss in their flight to a duo from Lee University.
Play continues in both singles and doubles on Saturday at the Champions Club in Chattanooga.
Friday's Singles Results
Blue Flight: Alvarez (UAB) def. Cunitz (Murray St.), 6-4, 6-1; (3) Shkundina (Kennesaw St.) def. Alvarez (UAB), 6-1, 6-0. Gold Flight: (4) Fernandez (UAB) def. Klein (Murray St.), 6-1, 6-4; Miller (Stetson) def. (4) Fernandez, 6-2, 6-2; Daniell (UAB) def. Borck (Lipscomb), 7-5, 6-3; Lazarevic (Stetson) def. Daniell (UAB), 6-3, 3-6, (12-10). Platinum Flight: (2) Bukajeva (Stetson) def. Moolman (UAB), 6-2, 6-1. Silver Flight: (3) Westling (Xavier) def. Cohen (UAB), 7-6 (5), 6-4. Silver Consolation: Cohen (UAB) def. Jow (Lipscomb), WD.
Friday's Doubles Results
Blue Flight: Flynn/Singh (Chattanooga) def. Alvarez/Fernandez (UAB), 8-5. Platinum Flight: Daniell/Moolman (UAB) def. Handler/Patton (Xavier), 8-5. Silver Flight: Garner/Sandberg (Lee) def. Cohen (UAB)/Bowman (Lipscomb), 8-4.
