Oct. 19, 2001
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue women's tennis team completed first day of competition in Nashville, Tenn., today, Oct. 19.
Head Coach Mat Iandolo was pleased with the doubles results and hopeful for tomorrow in singles.
"Today was very challenging for the Boilermakers," Iandolo said. "The women responded well especially in the doubles flights."
Purdue's doubles team of junior Melissa Iqbal and freshman Lara Burgarello will be competing for first place tomorrow and teammate's sophomore Gretchen Haynor and senior Missy Wright will be contending for third.
"Tomorrow we hope to move in a positive direction in singles," he said.
Iqbal and Burgarello dominated Vanderbilt's team of Katie Blaszak and Jenny Miller, 8-5, in the first round of doubles. In the semifinals, the duo also defeated Clemson's pair of Milena Stanoycheva and Ana Stiglic 8-2. They will be battling for first place tomorrow in Flight Three.
In Flight One of doubles, Haynor and Wright defeated Vanderbilt's team of Kate Burson and Audra Falk 8-6 in the first round. In the semifinals, the pair fell, 8-6, to Middle Tennessee State's pair of Manon Kruse and Stacy Varnell. They are anticipating a third place finish on Saturday.
In Flight Two, the freshman tandem of Shawna Zuccarini and Amy Walgenbach lost, 8-2, to Middle Tennessee State's team of Carien Venter and Verena Preiss. In the consolation semifinals, they were defeated by Penn State's pair of Megan Marton and Janell Perez 8-6. They are hoping to finish in seventh place overall.
Freshman Catie McLevish formed a doubles team with Tennessee's Ashley Robards. In the first round, they lost to Penn State's pair of Judy Wang and Sarah Spence 8-3. In the consolation semifinals, they defeated Marshall's team of Jeolle Good and Olivia Hill 8-5. McLevish and Robards will be competing for fifth place.
In the first flight of singles, Haynor fell to Clemson's Alix Lacelarie 4-6, 6-4, 6-0. Iqbal lost a marathon match, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, to Vanderbilt's top one hundred ranked Kate Burson in Flight Two. In Flight Three, Walgenbach dropped a 6-3, 6-1 decision to 59th -ranked Sarah Witten of Kentucky.
Burgarello upset Kentucky's Leigh Bradwell 6-2, 6-1 in Flight Four.
In Flight Five, Zuccarini lost a heartbreaker to Kentucky's Jill Buchley 6-4, 1-6, 6-4. Wright was defeated by Marshall's Ashley Kroh 6-2, 6-0 in the sixth flight. McLevish fell, 6-2, 6-1, to Marshall's Meghan Skalsky in Flight Seven.
Full results for the Vanderbilt Invitational can be found at www.vucommodores.com.