Feb. 1, 2009
ATLANTA – The Yellow Jackets quest for a third straight ITA National Team Indoor Championship title is still alive after the No. 8 Georgia Tech women’s tennis (3-0) team defeated No. 21 Arizona State (3-1), 4-2, Sunday afternoon in the ITA Championship Qualifying match at the Bill Moore Tennis Center.
“This was a great weekend,” head coach Bryan Shelton said. “I thought we played extremely well all weekend long. Arizona State came out to win and they played to win but we were able to hold them off today.”
After dropping the doubles point, the Jackets had a lot of ground to make up against the Sun Devils. Freshman Irina Falconi, the nation’s 23rd-ranked player, was up to the challenge, defeating Nadia Abdala, 6-0, 6-1, from the second spot in the lineup, to bring the score even at one.
Tech moved ahead 2-1, when freshman Viet Ha Ngo earned her third straight singles win of the dual-match season, a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Ashlee Brown in the No. 6 position. No. 57 Noelle Hickey followed with a 6-2, 6-3 win of her own in the No. 4 flight over Laila Abdala to give the Jackets a commanding 3-1 lead.
Third-ranked Kelcy McKenna of Arizona State kept the Sun Devils in the match when she defeated No. 11 Amanda McDowell, 6-2, 6-4, at the top spot in the lineup.
The Jackets clinched their spot in the championship tournament behind Sasha Krupina, who sealed her second Tech victory of the week from the No. 5 position, when she finished off Sianna Simmons, 6-1, 6-4.
“I was really impressed with our sophomores, Noelle and Sasha, all weekend long,” Shelton said. “They really took their play to another level.”
Christy Striplin, who has had a strong weekend for the Jackets, won her first set, 7-6, against Micaela Hein in the fourth flight before the match was called after Krupina’s match-clinching victory.
“Christy, our team’s on;y senior, is the definition of a competitor,” Shelton added.
The Yellow Jackets will have a week off before traveling to Madison, Wis., for the ITA National Women’s Team Indoor Championships from Feb. 13-16. The event will be hosted by the University of Wisconsin at the Nielson Tennis Stadium.
– RamblinWreck.com –
Tennis Match Results
Arizona State vs Georgia Tech
Feb 01, 2009 at Atlanta, Ga.
#8 Georgia Tech 4, #21 Arizona State 2
Singles competition
1. #3 Kelcy McKenna (ASU) def. #11 Amanda McDowell (GT) 6-2, 6-4
2. #23 Irina Falconi (GT) def. Nadia Abdala (ASU) 6-0, 6-1
3. #27 Christy Striplin (GT) vs. Micaela Hein (ASU) 7-6, unfinished
4. #57 Noelle Hickey (GT) def. Laila Abdala (ASU) 6-2, 6-3
5. Sasha Krupina (GT) def. Sianna Simmons (ASU) 6-1, 6-4
6. Viet Ha Ngo (GT) def. Ashlee Brown (ASU) 6-2, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Micaela Hein/Kelcy McKenna (ASU) def. #4 Amanda McDowell/Irina Falconi (GT) 8-3
2. Christy Striplin/Noelle Hickey (GT) def. Nadia Abdala/Laila Abdala (ASU) 8-3
3. Ali Van Horne/Michelle Brycki (ASU) def. #46 Viet Ha Ngo/Sasha Krupina (GT) 9-7
Match Notes:
Arizona State 3-1; National ranking #21
Georgia Tech 3-0; National ranking #8
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (2,6,4,1,5)
