Women's Tennis Fights Foes and Mother Nature in Kingsville

KINGSVILLE, Texas – Mother Nature interfered with the schedule at the Javelina Jam, dropping rain in Kingsville to cut the St. Mary's University Women's Tennis team's weekend short.
 
"All three played at a pretty high level," said Director of Tennis Bill Macom. "They should be ready for the regionals this week."
 
Junior Bailey Godwin (San Antonio) and freshman Selina Wu (San Gabriel, Calif.) improved to 2-0 on the fall after a thrilling 8-7 (7-5) victory over Ainara Vegal Rodriguez and Victoria Fuenmayor Castillo from Prairie View A&M on Friday evening. The Rattlers' matches on Saturday were canceled due to the rain.
 
In singles, Wu defeated Isabel Neumer from Texas A&M Kingsville, 7-5, 6-3 on Friday morning and answered with a 6-4, 6-4 win against Texas A&M Corpus Christi's Kateryna Rublevska in the semifinals. She dropped a close 6-3, 7-6 (4) match in the finals to Valeriia Cherfus, also from the Islanders.
 
Sophomore Alessia Terlizzi (Andria, Italy) also advanced to the finals in her bracket. She received a bye in the quarterfinals and defeated the Javelinas Milou Ter Morsche, 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals. In the finals, TAMUCC's Palina Saulevich defeated Terlizzi 6-2, 6-1.
 
Godwin dropped both singles matches to a pair of Javelinas. She fell in the semifinals with a pair of late breaks of serve, 7-5, 7-5 in the semifinals to Raina Zaffar. In the 3-4 playoff, Godwin fought hard but eventually fell 4-6, 6-4, [10-8] to Luna Jokanovic.
 
The Rattlers head to Arlington, Texas for the ITA South Central Regional on Sept. 21-23. St. Mary's won the women's singles and doubles titles a year ago in both draws. Godwin won the B draw singles crown, while senior Elena Munoz (Corregidora, Queretaro, Mexico) and junior Elisa Rodriguez (Houston) won the doubles B draw. Senior Kyndall Quiroz (San Antonio) paired with recently graduated Ashley Penshorn to win the main draw of doubles and Penshorn won the singles title.