Sunday, September 24, 2006

JESSI SMITH CLAIMS USC UPSTATE TOURNAMENT CROWN

SPARTANBURG, S.C. --- Tusculum College's Jessi Smith went 2-1 to claim the B singles consolation bracket title at the 2006 USC Upstate Fall Tennis Tournament, held this weekend in Spartanburg.

The Pioneers competed in individual matches against players representing USC Upstate, Wofford College, Gardner-Webb University, Furman University, USC Aiken, Mars Hill College and Presbyterian College.

Smith lost her opening match in straight sets (6-0, 6-0) to Vivian Neuenschwander of USC Upstate. But she rebounded with wins over Mars Hill's Karyn Devinney in the consolation semifinals and MHC's Maranda Dellinger in the finals in a hard fought third set tie-breaker.

Thanks to a weather delay, the outcome of the doubles consolation bracket was decided at TC's Nichols Tennis Complex as it was an all Tusculum contest. The duo of Danae Valderrama and Samantha Cantu defeated Bronwyn Hartley and Caroline Crowe 8-4. The Hartley/Crowe duo defeated the TC pair of Smith and Heidi Vonderlage 9-7 in pro sets. Hartley and Crowe later defeated the USC Aiken duo of Ramsey and Gerth to advance to the finals. Following an opening round loss, Valderrama and Cantu defeated Martinez and Neuenschwand of USC Upstate prior to beating Dellinger and Blythe (Mars Hill) in the semis.

Tusculum hosts Johnson C. Smith this weekend for a 1 p.m. match at the Nichols Tennis Complex.

- TC -

A Singles

Hernandez (USC Upstate) def. Samantha Cantu Tusculum) 6-4, 6-2

Danae Valderrama (Tusculum) def. Elly Toth (USC Aiken) 6-3, 6-2

Bronwyn Hartley (Tusculum) def. Moyer (Presbyterian) 6-3, 6-3

Katie Stroud (Mars Hill) def. Jennifer Sparks (Tusculum) 2-0 retired

Kaeter (USC Aiken) def. Amanda Pike (Tusculum) 6-4, 6-2

Danae Valderrama (Tusculum) def. Bronwyn Hartley (Tusculum) 7-5, 6-3

Hernandez (USC Upstate) def. Danae Valderrama (Tusculum) 7-5, 6-1

Consolation

Seyalioglu (Mars Hill) def. Samantha Cantu (Tusculum) 6-0, 6-1

Elly Toth (USC Aiken) def. Bronwyn Hartley (Tusculum) 6-2, 6-4

Amanda Pike (Tusculum) def. Jennifer Sparks (Tusculum) Default

Marianne Blattes (USC Aiken) def. Amanda Pike (Tusculum)

B Singles

Neuenschwander (USC Upstate) def. Jessi Smith (Tusculum) 6-0, 6-0

Heidi Vonderlage (Tusculum) def. Blythe (Mars Hill) 6-3, 6-1

Caroline Crowe (Tusculum) def. Gerth (USC Aiken) 6-0, 6-1

Heidi Vonderlage (Tusculum) def. Maranda Dellinger (Mars Hill)

Neuenschwander (USC Upstate) def. Heidi Vonderlage (Tusculum) 6-1, 6-0

Consolation

Devinney (Mars Hill) def. Carolina Crowe (Tusculum) 6-3, 6-3

Jessi Smith (Tusculum) def. Devinney (Mars Hill)

Jessi Smith (Tusculum) def. Maranda Dellinger (Mars Hill) 6-0, 6-1

A Doubles

LaRovere/Seyalioglu (Mars Hill) def. Heidi Vonderlage/Jessi Smith (Tusculum) 8-1

Battes/Telford (USC Aiken) def. Caroline Crowe/Bronwyn Hartley (Tusculum) 9-7

Jennifer Sparks/Amanda Pike (Tusculum) def. Ramsey/Gerth (USC Aiken) 8-1

Gruber/Strand (Mars Hill) def. Danae Valderrrama/Samantha Cantu (Tusculum) 8-6

Consolation

Crowe/Hartley (Tusculum) def. Vonderlage/Smith (Tusculum) 9-7

Valderrama/Cantu (Tusculum) def. Martinez/Neuenschwand (USC Upstate)

Valderrama/Cantu (Tusculum) def. Dellinger/Blythe (Mars Hill)

Crowe/Hartley (Tusculum) def. Ramsey/Gerth (USC Aiken)

Valderrama/Cantu (Tusculum) def. Crowe/Hartley (Tusculum, 8-4