Ryan Sullivan, Staff Writer
The women’s tennis team recently wrapped up their fall schedule in Macon, Georgia at the Mercer Bear Gridiron Classic. The women participated in consolation games at the conclusion of the tournament which was inhibited by the weather.
Freshman Lorena Rionda began the weekend winning both her matches. Sophomore Linnea Skymberg began on a first round bye, but lost her first match 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, entering the consolation bracket.
Rionda advanced to quarterfinals, but was defeated by Katie Sador, dropping her sets 6-4 and 7-5.
None of the scheduled singles or doubles consolation matches were played on their scheduled Saturday date. When the matches were rescheduled for Sunday, Skymberg and sophomore Shannon Griffin emerged victorious, winning their matches 6-3, 6-2 and 6-3, 6-2, respectively.
The previous weekend on Oct. 4, the phrase “There’s nothing wrong with a little friendly competition” became literal for the Lady Mocs at the C.L. Varner Memorial Tournament at Rollins College. Rionda and sophomore Nina Vacevic played against each other to determine fifth place and sophomore Katie Stanford went up against sophomore Carolyn Cuerton in a battle for seventh.
“Sometimes it happens during the fall tournaments,” Rionda said. “We don’t like to play against each other, but we just play and outside of the court the friendship continues without problems.”
The matches paired each competitor against their doubles partner which added to the irony of the tournament.
In the end, Rionda defeated Vacevic 6-1 and 6-3, winning herself fifth place, and Standford took seventh after defeating Cuerton after she retired down 6-2 in the first set.
