Gonzaga University
GU/EWU Fall Tournament
Four Zags Advance to Three GU/EWU Championship Matches
10/2/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Oct. 2, 2010
CHENEY, Wash. - The Gonzaga University women's tennis team had four players advance to the finals of all three main brackets at the GU/EWU Fall Invitational played at Eastern Washington University Saturday.
Senior Rika Mehndiratta and redshirt sophomore Prue Teitzel will represent the Bulldogs in the finals of the doubles bracket. In singles, Teitzel and junior Kristina Zauere will play each other in the Singles A championship while sophomore Gabrielle Verspieren will play in the Singles B finals.
The second day of the tournament saw the Bulldogs play each other in order to advance to the next round.
Mehndiratta and Teitzel defeated their teammates, freshman Kelly Humphrey and sophomore Taurie Bjerken, in the quarterfinals by a score of 8-4. The duo later eliminated the University of Idaho's Jana Siwa and Silvia Irimescu 8-4 to advance to the championship match against the Vandals' Yvette Ly and Molly Knox Sunday.
After defeating Irimescu 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the quarterfinals, Teitzel and sophomore Britta Stime played to a tough three set match. Teitzel defeated her teammate 7-6 (5), 1-6, 10-5 to advance to the Singles A championship match.
Also in Singles A, Zauere defeated senior Clare Dodge 6-3, 7-5 in the quarterfinals and in the semifinals, Zauere bounced back in the first set and defeated Ly 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-3 to advance to the championship round against Teitzel. The two will play each other Sunday.
In Singles B semifinals, Verspieren and junior Sophie Lantta played each other to determine who would face Seattle University's Gabriella Weissman in the championship match. In two sets, Verspieren defeated Lantta 6-4, 7-6 (2) to advance.
"We had a great day today," Bulldogs head coach D.J. Gurule said. "I am really proud of our entire team. Each player played two doubles matches and two singles matches. For some women, that meant they were on the court for over six hours.
"Unfortunately some of our players had to battle each other in the quarterfinals and semifinals. But I was impressed with everyone's effort today. For us to have two players in the A flight championship, one in the B flight championship and one team in the doubles championship, is a testament the hard work our team has put in this past week."
The GU/EWU Fall Tournament wraps up play on Sunday.
