The Bisons men’s and women’s tennis teams had a strong performance at the ITA/USTA Central Regional tournament held last Friday and Saturday in Springfield, Mo. The tournament was the opening match for the women’s team and the second action of the season for the men. Teams from the Great American Conference, Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association and Northern Sun Conference were represented. Players competed in a 64-player singles tournament and a 32-team doubles tournament.
The Lady Bisons singles lineup included sophomore Piper Huey, junior Ali Bishop and freshmen Laura Golubic and Gabriella Alves. Huey and Bishop formed one doubles team with Golubic and Alves formed the second. Huey performed exceptionally well for the women’s team by winning three consecutive matches. Huey, who was named the 2014 GAC Rookie of the Year and No. 7 seed in the tournament, reached the singles quarterfinals without losing a set in her first three matches. She lost to No. 3 seed Drury University in a three set match and super tiebreaker.
Though she was eliminated in the quarterfinals, Huey is optimistic for the season and excited to better her 21-6 record from last year.
“I go into every match knowing anything could happen,” Huey said. “I concentrate on each point in order to win.”
Huey also reached the doubles quarterfinals with Bishop before being eliminated by No. 3 seed Drury University. According to Huey, they are working hard to learn how to better move around the court together as a team.
The unseeded team of Golubic and Alves won three matches and defeated the No. 1 team from Northwest Missouri State University. They advanced to the doubles semifinals before falling to the No. 2 seed Northeastern State with a score of 8-3.
The men’s tennis team also performed well. The singles lineup included freshmen Andras Marics and David Korsten, sophomores Josh Hurt and Neto Cacace and senior Jon Mark Rowden. Rowden and Cacace formed a doubles team with Korsten and Marics making up the other.
Korsten and Marics both won their first round matches, falling to the second and fourth seeds respectively. Rowden and Cacace won two matches and advanced to the tournament quarterfinals.
This tournament was the first time Rowden and Cacace played together.
“We definitely played really well together,” Rowden said. “We lost in our third round match, but overall we did really well.”
Rowden said that the fall season is used to prepare for the spring.
Head coach Marco Ruiz was very pleased with their performance.
“(This) is a great result considering that this is the first tournament they have played together,” Ruiz said.
Ruiz said that this tournament was a great start for both teams and preview to what competition will look like in the future.
Both the men and women’s teams will play their last fall match at home on Oct. 3 against Rhodes College at 3 p.m.
