Women’s tennis competed in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Atlantic Regional Championships hosted on Liberty University’s campus in Lynchburg, Va., with winners guaranteed a bid for the Fall National Championships.
The tournament’s draw comprised 25 colleges and 243 players, including six Revolutionaries. Competition play began Thursday and concluded Monday, marking GW’s fourth consecutive weekend invitational.
The Revs entered the regional following strong team performances in previous invitationals this season, highlighted by a first-place finish in doubles by junior Alejandra Ramirez and freshman Solange Skeene at the Blue & Gold Invite hosted by Navy. At the Bedford Cup, which took place the weekend of Sept. 22 and was hosted by the University of Maryland, seven Revs finished in the top five of their respective draws, with two coming in first place.
Head Coach George Rodriguez said the team has been working hard all season to establish a foundation for future success on and off the court.
“We’ve been working really hard for this opportunity to try to do well here, to set the tone for the year,” Rodriguez said.
Senior Gabriela Giraldo, who was named to the A-10 All-Conference First Team last season, said the previous invitationals have provided her, as well as her teammates, with the experience necessary to perform well.
“I think it was good having some matches under our belts, as well to build the confidence for this tournament,” Giraldo said. “We’re all in a position, and confident, to go out there and play our hearts out and compete well.”
Freshman Victoria Sasinka dominated in her first singles match of the day, winning 6-0, 6-1. Sasinka was eliminated in the next round by Ela Platenikova from the University of Maryland, 6-2, 6-4. Three Revolutionaries played in the singles qualifying draw, with two losing in their first singles matches Thursday. Giraldo fell to Maria Turchetto of Liberty University 6-4, 6-3. Freshman Madison Lee was defeated by VCU’s Tiziana Rossi 7-6(3), 6-0.
Senior captain Stella Wiesemann was the lone Rev in the singles main draw and defeated UVA’s No. 6 seed Melodie Collard 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Friday. She later lost to Katie Andreini from Virginia Tech in the next round by a score of 6-1, 6-4.
Two of the Revolutionaries’ doubles pairs advanced to the round of 32 on Friday. Giraldo and Lee won their first doubles match 8-4 before losing by the same score in the round of 32. Ramirez and Skeene advanced to the round of 32 after winning their first match in a tiebreaker, 87-74, before falling 8-4. Sasinka and Wiesemann lost to UVA’s No. 12 seed doubles in their first match by a score of 8-3.
The Revolutionaries will get a break from invitational play this weekend before they travel back to Lynchburg, Va., for the Liberty Invitational on Nov. 4.
