Sept. 8, 2007
Contact: Brian McCann
PEORIA, Ill. - Cleveland State freshmen Melissa Holzinger and Sanda Bjelan will each play for third place in their respective flights after splitting their singles matches on Saturday and the doubles team of Christine Vogelgesang and Jen Myers swept their matches to earn a spot in the "C" Flight championship match on Saturday at the Bradley Fall Invitational.
After going 5-2 in singles on Friday, the Vikings slipped a bit on Saturday, posting a 4-8 singles record that included three tough three set losses. Doubles play was equally as frustrating as CSU won just two of five matches.
"The competition level definitely got a little tougher today," CSU head coach Brian Etzkin said. "We battled hard all day and even though some things went against us, I still think it is a good showing for the first weekend of the season.
"We've accomplished a lot this weekend. We will have a freshman playing for third place tomorrow in both the "A" and "B" singles flights and our only experienced doubles team swept their matches today and will play for the flight title tomorrow.
"Still, things could have been better. We need to learn how to raise our level of play when we get into tough matches and win the third set and tiebreakers. Our doubles play is a little off right now but that is only because we have focused our practice time right now on our singles play. It will improve once our players get used to playing with each other," Etzkin added.
The freshmen definitely stole the show for the Vikings on Saturday.
Freshman Melissa Holzinger, who entered the tourney as CSU's top singles player, upended Chicago State's Eliza Rustander in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3 before dropping a tough 7-5, 6-1 decision to Eastern Illinois' Sandra Sasidharan. Holzinger will play for third place in the "A" Flight on Sunday.
In the "B" Flight, CSU's Canda Bjelan routed Northern Illinois' Stephanie Okuma, 6-3, 6-2 before dropping a 6-1, 6-1 match to Hayley Homberg of Eastern Illinois to earn a spot in the third place match on Sunday.
Also in the "B" Flight, senior Jenn Myers will play in the fifth place match on Sunday after blanking Okuma, 6-0, 6-0. Earlier in the day, Myers dropped a heart-breaking 6-3, 1-6, 10-4 loss to Bradley's Kelly Donohue.
In the "C" Flight, Vogelgesang rebounded from a 6-0, 7-6 (9-7) loss to Milwaukee's Traci Litscher to rout Carrie Larson of Eastern Illinois, 6-2, 6-2 to earn a spot in the seventh place match on Sunday.
Myers and Vogelgesang each had a great weekend, winning four of the five matches they played in. They each went 2-1 in singles play and then teamed up for a pair of doubles victories.
Play concludes in the three-day tourney on Sunday morning.
Second Day Results
Singles Flight "A"
Melissa Holzinger (CSU) def. Eliza Rustander (Chicago State), 6-2, 6-3
Sandra Sasidharan (EIU) def. Melissa Holzinger (CSU), 7-5, 6-1
Golda Rubina (Chicago State) def. Jackie Tabb (CSU), 4-6, 6-1, 10-7
Nicole Miller (Bradley) def. Jackie Tabb (CSU), 4-6, 6-2, 10-5
Lilian Asuaje (NIU) def. Denisa Muntean (CSU), 7-6, 6-1
Denisa Muntean (CSU) def. Kari Kastenholz (UWM), 6-4, 6-3
Singles Flight "B"
Sanda Bjelan (CSU) def. Stephanie Okuma (NIU), 6-3, 6-2
Hayley Homberg (EIU) def. Sanda Bjelan (CSU), 6-1, 6-1
Abby Allgire (EIU) def. Lindsay Sellers (CSU), 6-2, 6-0
Dora Delgadillo (NIU) def. Lindsay Sellers (CSU), 6-2, 6-3
Kelly Donohue (Bradley) def. Jen Myers (CSU), 6-3, 1-6, 10-4
Jen Myers (CSU) def. Stephanie Okuma (NIU), 6-0, 6-0
Singles Flight "C"
Traci Litscher (UWM) def. Christine Vogelgesang (CSU), 6-0, 7-6 (9-7)
Christine Vogelgesang (CSU) def. Carrie Larson (EIU), 6-2, 6-2
Doubles Flight "A"
Natalie Martin/Homberg (EIU) def. Holzinger/Sellers (CSU), 8-2
Doubles Flight "B"
Okuma/Delgadillo (NIU) def. Muntean/Tabb (CSU), 8-5
Martina Schnapp/Sammi Schowen (UWM) def. Muntean/Tabb (CSU), 8-5
Doubles Flight "C"
Vogelgesang/Myers (CSU) def. Stephanie Harmazy/Sam Lininger (EIU), 8-2
Vogelgesang/Myers (CSU) def. Erin Krubeck/Kim Braun (Bradley), 8-6