The University of Akron Athletics
Tennis Wraps Up Day One At Spartan Invitational
September 30 | Women's Tennis
. – The University of Akron tennis team posted a 12-8
record on Saturday in the first day of competition at the Spartan
Invitational at Michigan State.
The Zips started the day with a solid 3-1 showing in singles
matches against a combined Louisville and Albany team. The No. 1
match saw Tanyaradzwa Gombera and Amy
Sherlock drop an 8-2 decision to Gorbea and Baez of Louisville,
but UA's No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 teams all won their matches with
ease. At No. 2, Kerry Langworthy and Carolina
Castro Cota won 8-2 over Kern and Tatler of Albany. At No. 3
doubles, in perhaps the most exciting win of the day, Lindsey
Berry and Jeremie Benjamin bested Tomalak and van Aerde of
Louisville. At No. 4, Laura Hemlepp and Alyssa
Carlson won 8-2.
Matching up against Mid-American Conference rival Toledo in the
first round of singles matches, Akron played the Rockets much
tougher than in last spring's conference meeting. Amy
Sherlock (No. 2), Castro Cota (No. 3) and Berry (No. 4) each
won their opening set, but failed to pull out the matches in hard
fought three-set upsets. Sherlock fell 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 to Maha
Guirguis. Castro Cota dropped a 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 decision to Ashley
Frey, and Berry, in the tightest match of the day, lost 0-6, 6-2,
7-6 (4).
In other singles matches against Toledo, Gombera lost 6-1, 6-3 at
No. 1 to Martina Wodzinski. Langworthy lost 6-4, 6-0 to Jenny
Belsky at No. 5. Carlson lost 6-1, 6-0 to Sarah Horning at No. 6,
and Benjamin lost 6-1, 6-3 at No. 7 singles. Because Toledo only
had seven available players, Laura
Hemlepp's opening match was against Cleveland State's No. 8
player, Morgan Ungerott, and Hemlepp topped her 6-2, 6-0.
The day's second round of singles matches was against Morehead
State, and Akron was dominant as they posted wins at all eight
positions, dropping only two sets. At No. 1, Gombera avenged a loss
to the same player she faced three weeks ago with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3
win over Alexandra Rydberg. At No. 2, Sherlock won 6-3, 6-0 over
Megan Rozboril. At No. 3, Castro Cota won 6-4, 6-0 over Lauren
Delaney, who she had beaten in three sets earlier this year. At No.
4, Berry defeated Heather Butt, 6-1, 6-0. At No. 5, Langworthy
defeated Catherine Butts, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4. At No. 6, Carlson won 6-2,
6-0 over Alix Lakow. At No. 7, Benjamin won 6-1, 6-0 over Adriana
Espinosa, and at No. 8, Hemlepp won 8-1 over Meredith Lortie.
The Zips finish play at the Spartan Invitational on Sunday when
they will play doubles against event host Michigan State at 8 a.m.
EDT and against Cincinnati at 9:30 a.m., followed by singles play
against Detroit.
Players Mentioned
