Michigan
Wolverine Invitational
Freshmen Lead Michigan to Wolverine Invite Title Sweep
10/5/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Two of the three singles finals were all-Michigan affairs with Wolverine teammates competing against each other for the title. Freshman Elizabeth Exon (Irvine, Calif./Woodbridge HS) jumped to an early lead in the first set against senior teammate Chrissie Nolan (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) and never looked back, winning in straight sets (6-3, 6-1) to claim the title in the Blue flight. Fellow freshman Lindsey Goldstein (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park HS) went to three sets against junior Leanne Rutherford (Calgary, Alberta/National Sports School), winning the title in the Wolverine singles flight with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 advantage.
Freshman Kara Delicata (LaSalle, Ontario/Sandwich Secondary) captured the third Michigan singles title in the Maize flight, dominating Western Michigan's Carrie Jeanmaire in the finals match to cruise to a 6-0, 6-2 victory.
Delicata also claimed the title in the Victors doubles flight along with partner senior Kavitha Tipirneni (Galloway, Ohio/Hilliard Darby HS), defeating Nolan and Rutherford 9-7 in a marathon-like final match that saw nearly every game go to deuce. Battling back from a 7-5 deficit, the pair won the final four games to earn the victory. In their three matches prior to the final, the Nolan-Rutherford tandem had only given up four games to the opposition.
Michigan will return to the court next weekend at the USTA National Tennis Center Invitational, held Saturday through Monday, Oct. 11-13, in Flushing, N.Y.
Following are U-M's individual results:
Blue Singles Flight
Chrissie Nolan
First Round -- d. Samantha Liu (Cincinnati), 6-1, 6-0
Quarterfinals -- d. Lisa Maloney (Bowling Green), 3-6, 6-3, 1-0(7)
Semifinals -- d. Gergana Ganeva (DePaul), 6-3, 6-4
Finals -- l. to Elizabeth Exon (Michigan), 6-3, 6-1
Finished second with a 3-1 record
Kavitha Tipirneni
First Round -- d. Rattiya Hiranrat (Western Michigan), 6-3, 7-5
Quarterfinals -- d. Petra Rehusova (DePaul), 6-3, 6-4
Semifinals -- l. to Elizabeth Exon (Michigan), 6-3, 6-1
Consolation -- d. Gergana Ganeva (DePaul), 6-1, 6-1
Finished third with a 3-1 record
Elizabeth Exon
First Round -- d. Christina Reyes (Cincinnati), 6-0, 6-2
Quarterfinals -- d. Caroline Lay (Michigan State), 6-3, 6-4
Semifinals -- d. Kavitha Tipirneni (Michigan), 6-3, 6-1
Finals -- d. Chrissie Nolan (Michigan), 6-3, 6-1
Finished first with a 4-0 record
Maize Singles Flight
Debra Streifler
First Round -- d. Sarah Andrews (Michigan State), 6-3, 6-2
Quarterfinals -- d. Callan Smith (Marquette), 6-2, 6-1
Semifinals -- l. to Kara Delicata (Michigan), 6-2, 6-1
Consolation -- d. Karen Falduto (DePaul), 6-3, 7-6 (2)
Finished third with a 3-1 record
Kim Plaushines
First Round -- d. Katherine Nasteva (Marquette), 6-0, 6-0
Quarterfinals -- l. to Carrie Jeanmaire (Western Michigan), 6-4, 2-6, 1-0(4)
Consolation -- d. Hannah Hinton (Cincinnati), 6-1, 6-3
Consolations -- d. Natalie Matko (DePaul), 6-3, 7-6 (3)
Finished fifth with a 3-1 record
Kara Delicata
First Round -- d. Cam Benjamin (Bowling Green), 6-1, 6-3
Quarterfinals -- d. Natalie Matko (DePaul), 6-4, 7-5
Semifinals -- d. Debra Streifler (Michigan), 6-2, 6-1
Finals -- d. Carrie Jeanmaire (Western Michigan), 6-0, 6-2
Finished first with a 4-0 record
Wolverine Singles Flight
Leanne Rutherford
First Round -- Bye
Quarterfinals -- d. Laura Kokinda (Bowling Green), 6-1, 6-1
Semifinals -- d. Stephanie Matko (DePaul), 6-3, 6-2
Finals -- l. to Lindsay Goldstein (Michigan), 6-3, 1-6, 6-2
Finished second with a 3-1 record
Lindsey Goldstein
First Round -- d. Kirby Doran (Cincinnati), 6-0, 6-1
Quarterfinals -- d. Melanee Allego (DePaul), 6-2, 6-2
Semifinals -- d. Jill Klauck (Cincinnati), 6-2, 6-2
Finals -- d. Leanne Rutherford (Michigan), 6-3, 1-6, 6-2
Finished first with a 4-0 record
Victors Doubles Flight
Nolan/Rutherford
First Round -- Bye
Second Round -- d. Mix/Benjamin (Bowling Green), 8-0
Quarterfinals -- d. Maloney/Hinton (Cincinnati), 8-0
Semifnals -- d. Ganeva/N. Matko (DePaul), 8-4
Finals -- l. to Delicata/Tipirneni (Michigan), 9-7
Finished second with a 3-1 record
Delicata/Tipirneni
First Round -- Bye
Second Round -- d. Matko/Allego (DePaul), 8-1
Quarterfinals -- d. Reyes/Liu (Cincinnati), 8-3
Semifnals -- d. Lay/Andrews (Michigan State), 8-6
Finals -- d. Nolan/Rutherford (Michigan), 9-7
Finished first with a 4-0 record
Exon/Plaushines
First Round -- Bye
Second Round -- l. to Brady/Gustafson (Michigan State), 9-7
Consolation -- Parekh/Jeanmaire (Western Michigan), 8-5
Consolation -- Briseno/Nasteva (Cincinnati), 8-1
Consolation -- l. to Hiranrat/Remynse (Western Michigan), 8-5
Finished with a 2-2 record
Goldstein/Streifler
First Round -- l. to Hiranrat/Remynse (Western Michigan), 8-2
Consolation -- d. Klauck/Klauck (Cincinnati), 8-4
Consolation -- d. Maloney/Romer (Bowling Green), 8-4
Finished with a 2-1 record
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
