🎾 Jayhawks Strong in ITA Central Region Championships
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas women’s tennis team hosted the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Central Regional Championships to the Jayhawk Tennis Center October 12-16, which featured a Jayhawk duo in doubles quarterfinals and Jocelyn Massey advance to singles consolation finals.
Kansas’ duo of Gracie Mulville and Heike Janse Van Vuuren put together a strong weekend by advancing to the doubles quarterfinals. The Jayhawk duo began by defeating Theodora Chantava and Clara Whitaker of Wichita State, 8-2, in the first round, before taking down No. 5 seed Lenka Stara and Grace O’Donnell of Arkansas.
Mulville and Van Vuuren advanced into Saturday’s round of 16 where they then defeated No. 12 seed Romana Cisovska and Emma Staker of Oklahoma.
In quarterfinals, Mulville and Van Vuuren met their match in No. 4 seeded Christine and Mae Canete of Missouri, who defeated the Jayhawks, 8-5.
In the main draw of singles, both Mulville and freshman Kyoka Kubo made it to the round of 16, as Kubo defeated Northern Iowa’s Darta Dalecka (6-3, 4-6, 6-3) and Nebraska’s Raphaelle Lacasse (6-1, 6-7, 7-6) in the opening rounds. Going up against the No. 9 seeded Maria Berlanga, Kubo fell 6-3, 6-4.
Mulville entered singles ranked No. 17 and advanced her way to the round of 16 with a win over Saint Louis’ Norhan Hesham, 6-2, 6-2. Mulville would take No. 6 seeded Alina Shcherbinina of Oklahoma to three sets, 7-6, 1-6, 2-6, but would not advance.
In consolation action, Massey defeated Wichita State’s Chantava, 6-4, 2-6, 10-7, before defeating Juliette Talieau of Southeast Missouri State, 7-5, 6-2 to advance to the semifinals. Meanwhile, Kansas’ Silvia Maria Costache defeated Nebraska’s Jillian Roa, 6-4, 6-3, to force a semifinals matchup with Massey.
In consolation semifinals, Massey came out victorious, 6-4, 6-3. Massey faced off against Daniela Hlacikova of Southeast Missouri State in the consolation finals, falling 7-6, 2-6, 7-10.
The ITA Central Region Championships served as the second and final fall tournament in Lawrence, as the Jayhawks will now travel to the TCU Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas Oct. 27-29.
