MCC Women's Tennis Team Completes 2014 Season

From School Reports

Meridian Community College competed in the NJCAA National Tennis Tournament hosted by Tyler Junior College May 3-9.  The tournament consisted of thirty -one teams with a consolation back draw.  This tournament is a flighted tournament; players are seeded according to dual match play during the spring season.  Two points are awarded for the first round in the main draw and one point thereafter.  Players in the back draw can earn up to two points for the team if they win the draw with each match counting ½ point.

Meridian finished the tournament tied with Seward County Community College out of Liberal, Kansas for fifteenth place.  Meridian’s women had a stellar night at the national banquet held at Tyler Junior College previous to tournament play on Sunday.  Mallory Davis received the Region III and National Arthur Ashe, Jr. National Sportsmanship Award presented during the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Awards ceremony.  The big surprise of the night came when Coach Wanda McPhail was inducted into the NJCAA Women’s Tennis Coaches Association Hall of Fame. 

In first round play, Meridian’s Mallory Davis defeated Illinois Valley’s April Kutz 6-2, 6-0.  In the second round of play, Mallory faced the number one seed, Natalia Vavulina, from ASA (New York) who was the tournament winner at the number one flight.  She lost 6-0, 6-1.  At number two singles, freshman Jennie Smith lost to Snead State’s Rachel Farmer 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.  In the back draw, Jennie lost to North Central Texas’ Alexandria Rodriguez 8-2.  At number three singles, sophomore Madison Gillette won her first round defeating Moraine Valley Illinois’ Alex Armon 6-2, 6-1.  In the round of 16, Gillette faced the number four seed, Simone Krog, from Collin County Texas; she lost 6-1, 6-0.  At number four singles, freshman, Caroline Terry, won her first round by defeating Carolina Hernandez of Jacksonville College Texas 6-1, 6-1.  Terry then lost to the number 7 seed Katy Foster from North Central Texas 6-3, 6-1.  At number five singles, sophomore, Molly Davis, lost a close match 6-7, 7-6, 6-1 to Pima’s Cassidy McWhorter. 

In the back draw, Molly lost to NCTC’s Sheridan McKissick 8-3.  At number six singles, MCC’s Taylor White lost to Snead State’s Courtney Moore 6-1, 6-4.  In the back draw, White defeated Alina Patthana from Elgin Illinois 8-2.  In the semifinals, White lost to sophomore, Brooke Martin, JCJC MS 8-6.  At number one doubles, Davis/Smith defeated Oxford of Emory’s Colleen Isdahl/Camille Lusher 6-2, 6-0.  In the round of 16, they played the number six seeded team Olivia Erlandsson/Jazz Whitaker of St. Petersburg, FL losing 6-0, 6-1.  At number two doubles, Gillette/Molly Davis defeated Natalie Judkins/Stacy Kroch of Elgin, IL 6-2, 6-0 before falling to the number one seeded team from Tyler Junior College Texas 6-2, 6-0.  At number three doubles, MCC’s freshman duo of Taylor White/Caroline Terry defeated Mesa CC AZ 2-6, 7-5. 6-0.  in the round of 16, they defeated Jenna Bechtold/Marla Rodriguez of Lewis and Clark 6-2, 7-6.  They played the number one seeded doubles team from TJC in the quarterfinals losing to Ashleigh De Wet/ Kerry Wiegand 6-1, 6-1.  ASA won the national title with 47 points, Tyler had 46 for a second place finish.  Rounding out the top five were Georgia Perimeter with 32, Cowley College KS with 25.5, and Florida State College of Jacksonville with 25.5. 

Meridian women finished with 14 points which was enough to tie with Seward CC from Liberal, Kansas for fifteenth.  For  all results visit the following website : http://www.apacheathletics.com/f/NJCAA_D1_Womens_Tennis_National_Tournament_Schedule_and_Results.php