Panthers Conclude Day Two of ITA Regionals

Saturday, October 1

Evanston, Ill.

All Day

Pitt

Wildcat Invite

Panthers Conclude Day Two of ITA Regionals

10/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis

Oct. 15, 2016

NORFOLK, Va. -- The Pitt tennis team concluded day two of action Saturday evening at the 2016 ITA Atlantic Regional Championships on the campus of Old Dominion University.

Four Panthers competed in the singles main draw, while senior Audrey Ann Blakely was the lone Pitt player to earn a singles win on the day. Two doubles teams also collected wins on the day as well.

"I am proud of the team and I have great trust in them," head coach Alex Santos said. "It was an amazing start of the day in doubles. We came out of the gates strong, imposing our tennis and being very disciplined. In the following round, a few key details took both of our teams out of the tournament and we need to do a better job making the right decisions independently of the score. In singles, Audrey Ann won not playing her best tennis and that is a valuable tool to have. We have to keep growing emotionally and tomorrow is an opportunity to do so."

Blakely, ranked No. 121 in the ITA preseason rankings, entered the championships as the No. 9 seed in the singles main draw. In her first test of the weekend came against Devan McCluskey of Penn State. Blakely held off McCluskey 7-6 (8) in the first set, fell in the second 2-6, but bounced back in the third, 7-5, to survive another day.

Junior Callie Frey earned a spot in the main draw after a successful first day in the qualifiers bracket. However, 96th-ranked Caroline Daxhelet defeated Frey 6-0, 6-3.

Also competing in the main draw was redshirt senior Amber Washington and senior Lolade Ogungbesan. Washington dropped a 6-1, 6-4 decision to Penn State's Katia Blik, while Ogungbesan was outlast by Blorislava Botusharova of Old Dominion, 6-0, 6-1.

Pitt doubles started off on a high note as the veteran tandem of Blakely and Ogungbesan blanked the Delaware team of Brooke Pilkington and Sara Komer, 8-0. Frey and Washington also recorded a win early on as they defeated fellow Pittsburgh team, Duquesne, 8-2.

In the second round of doubles play, Blakely and Ogungbesan dropped a hard-fought match to VCU's Anna Rasmussen and Janina Braun, 8-7 (5). Frey and Washington also fell in their second round battle, dropping an 8-5 decision to Maryland's Ekaterina Tour and Arnelle Sullivan.

The Panthers will resume singles action tomorrow at 9 a.m.

Singles

Blakely def. McCluskey (PSU), 7-6 (8), 2-6, 7-5

Daxhelet (VT) def. Frey, 6-0, 6-3

Blik (PSU) def. Washington, 6-1, 6-4

Botusharova (ODU) def. Ogungbesan, 6-0, 6-1

Doubles

Blakely/Ogungbesan def. Pilkington/Komer (DEL), 8-0

Frey/Washington def. Isaacs/Herman (DUQ), 8-2

Rasmussen/Braun (VCU) def. Blakely/Ogungbesan, 8-7 (5)

Tour/Sullivan (UMD) def. Frey/Washington, 8-5