COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Members of the Texas A&M women's tennis team went a combined 8-4 on the first day of the inaugural David Kent Invitational at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center.
Texas A&M opened the competition by winning three of four doubles matches. At the No. 1 doubles flight, A&M seniors Rutuja Bhosale and Rachel Pierson never trailed as they raced to a 6-2 victory over Katherine Ip and Priya Niezgoda of Rice. At the No. 2 flight, the duo of Dominica Gonzalez and Eva Paalma let a 5-3 lead slip away in a 7-5 loss to Wendy Zhang and Alison Ho of Rice. The Aggies notched a win at the No. 3 flight as Tina Bokhua and Stefania Hristov jumped out to a 5-0 lead en route to a 6-2 victory over Savannah Durkin and Fernanda Astete of Rice, and at the No. 4 flight, A&M's Mason Strickland and Macarena Olivares fought back from a 5-1 deficit against Denise Maxl and Kaja Ljubia of Stephen F. Austin, winning six consecutive games to win the match, 7-5.
Singles had just begun when the on-and-off drizzle and rain began, hampering play throughout the day. When play finally completed in the early evening, A&M had come out victorious in five of singles eight flights.
Pierson cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 straight-set victory over Stacey Fung of Washington at the No. 1 flight, and Bhosale picked up a 6-3, 6-1 win over the Huskies' Miki Kobayahsi at the No. 2 flight. Aggie newcomer Bokhua suffered a 6-3, 6-1 setback against Alexis Prokopuik of Washington at the No. 3 flight, while another newcomer, Olivares defeated Nour Abbes of Washington, 6-4, 6-2 at the No. 4 flight. A&M also picked up a victory at the No. 5 flight as fifth-year senior Hristov toppled Washington's Kenadi Hance, 6-3, 6-4. Gonzalez suffered a 7-6, 0-6, 6-3 loss to Kat Kopcalic of Washington at the No. 6 flight, and Paalma posted a 6-1, 6-1 win over Lana Slavica of Washington at the No. 7 singles flight. At the No. 8 flight, A&M's Strickland fell to Kaja Ljubic of Stephen F. Austin, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3.
The tournament runs through Sunday with competition beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. on Sunday. Admission is free.
The tournament is named in honor of David Kent, who had a long and illustrious career as the Texas A&M men's tennis coach from 1979-96, recording the most wins in program history. A member of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Men's Tennis Hall of Fame and the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame, Kent coached current Aggie women's tennis head coach Mark Weaver from 1990-94. Kent, who also coached the Texas A&M women's tennis team in 1980, passed away Nov. 3, 2015, at the age of 80.
The David Kent Invitational is the fall season finale for the majority of the players on Texas A&M squad, with a few finishing out the season next week at the UNLV Rebel Invitational in Las Vegas.
The spring dual match season gets underway January 25 as the Aggies play host to Louisiana Tech at the Mitchell Tennis Center.
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M women's tennis. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M women's tennis team on Twitter by following @AggieWTEN or on Facebook at Facebook.com/AggieWomensTennis.
Complete David Kent Invitational schedule and Texas A&M results:
Friday, Nov. 4
Doubles
Flight 1: Rutuja Bhosale/Rachel Pierson (A&M) def. Katherine Ip/Priya Niezgoda (Rice), 6-2
Flight 2: Wendy Zhang/Alison Ho (Rice) def. Dominica Gonzalez/Eva Paalma (A&M), 7-5
Flight 3: Tina Bokhua/Stefania Hristov (A&M) def. Savannah Durkin/Fernanda Astete (Rice), 6-2
Flight 4: Mason Strickland/Macarena Olivares (A&M) def. Denise Maxl/Kaja Ljubic (SFA), 7-5
Singles
Flight 1: Rachel Pierson (A&M) def. Stacey Fung (Washington), 6-2, 6-1
Flight 2: Rutuja Bhosale (A&M) def. Miki Kobayashi (Washington), 6-3, 6-1
Flight 3: Alexis Prokopuik (Washington) def. Tina Bokhua (A&M), 6-3, 6-1
Flight 4: Macarena Olivares (A&M) def. Nour Abbes (Washington), 6-4, 6-2
Flight 5: Stefania Hristov (A&M) def. Kenadi Hance (Washington), 6-3, 6-4
Flight 6: Kat Kopcalic (Washington) def. Domenica Gonzalez (A&M), 7-6, 0-6, 6-3
Flight 7: Eva Paalma (A&M) def. Lana Slavica (Washington), 6-1, 6-1
Flight 8: Kaja Ljubic (SFA) def. Mason Strickland (A&M), 6-1, 1-6, 6-3
Saturday, Nov. 5, 11 a.m.
11 a.m. Texas A&M vs. TCU
11 a.m. Rice vs. Washington
Sunday, Nov. 6, 10 a.m.
10 a.m. TCU vs. Washington
11 a.m. Texas A&M vs. Rice
Texas A&M opened the competition by winning three of four doubles matches. At the No. 1 doubles flight, A&M seniors Rutuja Bhosale and Rachel Pierson never trailed as they raced to a 6-2 victory over Katherine Ip and Priya Niezgoda of Rice. At the No. 2 flight, the duo of Dominica Gonzalez and Eva Paalma let a 5-3 lead slip away in a 7-5 loss to Wendy Zhang and Alison Ho of Rice. The Aggies notched a win at the No. 3 flight as Tina Bokhua and Stefania Hristov jumped out to a 5-0 lead en route to a 6-2 victory over Savannah Durkin and Fernanda Astete of Rice, and at the No. 4 flight, A&M's Mason Strickland and Macarena Olivares fought back from a 5-1 deficit against Denise Maxl and Kaja Ljubia of Stephen F. Austin, winning six consecutive games to win the match, 7-5.
Singles had just begun when the on-and-off drizzle and rain began, hampering play throughout the day. When play finally completed in the early evening, A&M had come out victorious in five of singles eight flights.
Pierson cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 straight-set victory over Stacey Fung of Washington at the No. 1 flight, and Bhosale picked up a 6-3, 6-1 win over the Huskies' Miki Kobayahsi at the No. 2 flight. Aggie newcomer Bokhua suffered a 6-3, 6-1 setback against Alexis Prokopuik of Washington at the No. 3 flight, while another newcomer, Olivares defeated Nour Abbes of Washington, 6-4, 6-2 at the No. 4 flight. A&M also picked up a victory at the No. 5 flight as fifth-year senior Hristov toppled Washington's Kenadi Hance, 6-3, 6-4. Gonzalez suffered a 7-6, 0-6, 6-3 loss to Kat Kopcalic of Washington at the No. 6 flight, and Paalma posted a 6-1, 6-1 win over Lana Slavica of Washington at the No. 7 singles flight. At the No. 8 flight, A&M's Strickland fell to Kaja Ljubic of Stephen F. Austin, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3.
The tournament runs through Sunday with competition beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. on Sunday. Admission is free.
The tournament is named in honor of David Kent, who had a long and illustrious career as the Texas A&M men's tennis coach from 1979-96, recording the most wins in program history. A member of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Men's Tennis Hall of Fame and the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame, Kent coached current Aggie women's tennis head coach Mark Weaver from 1990-94. Kent, who also coached the Texas A&M women's tennis team in 1980, passed away Nov. 3, 2015, at the age of 80.
The David Kent Invitational is the fall season finale for the majority of the players on Texas A&M squad, with a few finishing out the season next week at the UNLV Rebel Invitational in Las Vegas.
The spring dual match season gets underway January 25 as the Aggies play host to Louisiana Tech at the Mitchell Tennis Center.
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M women's tennis. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M women's tennis team on Twitter by following @AggieWTEN or on Facebook at Facebook.com/AggieWomensTennis.
Complete David Kent Invitational schedule and Texas A&M results:
Friday, Nov. 4
Doubles
Flight 1: Rutuja Bhosale/Rachel Pierson (A&M) def. Katherine Ip/Priya Niezgoda (Rice), 6-2
Flight 2: Wendy Zhang/Alison Ho (Rice) def. Dominica Gonzalez/Eva Paalma (A&M), 7-5
Flight 3: Tina Bokhua/Stefania Hristov (A&M) def. Savannah Durkin/Fernanda Astete (Rice), 6-2
Flight 4: Mason Strickland/Macarena Olivares (A&M) def. Denise Maxl/Kaja Ljubic (SFA), 7-5
Singles
Flight 1: Rachel Pierson (A&M) def. Stacey Fung (Washington), 6-2, 6-1
Flight 2: Rutuja Bhosale (A&M) def. Miki Kobayashi (Washington), 6-3, 6-1
Flight 3: Alexis Prokopuik (Washington) def. Tina Bokhua (A&M), 6-3, 6-1
Flight 4: Macarena Olivares (A&M) def. Nour Abbes (Washington), 6-4, 6-2
Flight 5: Stefania Hristov (A&M) def. Kenadi Hance (Washington), 6-3, 6-4
Flight 6: Kat Kopcalic (Washington) def. Domenica Gonzalez (A&M), 7-6, 0-6, 6-3
Flight 7: Eva Paalma (A&M) def. Lana Slavica (Washington), 6-1, 6-1
Flight 8: Kaja Ljubic (SFA) def. Mason Strickland (A&M), 6-1, 1-6, 6-3
Saturday, Nov. 5, 11 a.m.
11 a.m. Texas A&M vs. TCU
11 a.m. Rice vs. Washington
Sunday, Nov. 6, 10 a.m.
10 a.m. TCU vs. Washington
11 a.m. Texas A&M vs. Rice