Michigan
Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional Qualifying
Shafner Still Alive in Qualifying at ITA Midwest Regional
10/20/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Sophomore Allie Shafner (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) is the only University of Michigan women's tennis player still alive in singles qualifying after action Thursday (Oct. 20) at the 2005 Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional Championships. Shafner collected two straight wins to advance to the round of 16 in the 64-player draw. She needs just one victory to secure one of eight spots into the main draw, which begins Saturday (Oct. 22).
Shafner got off to a fast start by posting a 6-3, 6-0 triumph over Valparaiso's Rachel Janssen in the morning's first round. Shafner then extended her fall winning streak to five matches with a 6-4, 6-3 decision over Butler's Tayo Bailey later in the afternoon. Shafner will battle Notre Dame's Kelly Nelson for a berth in the main draw tomorrow morning (Friday, Oct. 21).
Junior Lindsey Goldstein (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park HS) and freshman Lindsey Howard (Richmond, Va./Mills E. Godwin HS) put forth dominating performances against their first-round opponents, but both were eliminated after dropping tight matches in the secound round. Goldstein crushed Wisconsin-Green Bay's Aschley Jurgella (6-1 6-0) and then jumped out in front of Michigan State's Stephanie Kebler in the second round, 6-4, but Kebler fought back to take the final two sets, 6-2, 6-3. Howard steamrolled Akron's Kerry Langworthy (6-1, 6-0) in her collegiate debut, but Purdue's Mallory Voelker came away with a 7-6(8), 6-2 win in the second round.
The Wolverines will field four doubles teams in the doubles main draw, which begins tomorrow afternoon. Shafner and junior Kara Delicata (LaSalle, Ontario/Sandwich Secondary School), junior Elizabeth Exon (Irvine, Calif./Woodbridge HS) and senior Debra Streifler (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park HS), senior Nina Yaftali (Westlake Village, Calif./Westlake HS) and freshman Chisako Sugiyama (Parsippany, N.J./The Montclair Kimberley Academy), and Goldstein and Howard will represent Michigan in the 64-team doubles competition.
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
