Tennis Competes in ITA Summer Circuit
July 19, 2007 | Women's Tennis
July 19, 2007
LUBBOCK, Texas - Despite the close of the 2007 regular season, members of the Texas Tech women's tennis team continue competing as they travel to play in the ITA Collegiate Summer Circuit presented by the United States Tennis Association.
Tech had players compete in two tournaments held in Abilene, Texas, July 7-10, and in Plano, Texas, July 13-16. Among the athletes competing are senior Janet Durham, junior transfer Simone Templeton, sophomore Kyla Coleman from Levelland, Texas, freshman Laura Ring, and freshman Lubbock-native Kelsey Garland.
In Abilene, Durham received a number one seed as she advanced to the quarterfinals before falling 6-2, 6-4 to Christina Amo. After winning 11-9 in the third set over Jacyn Walker, Coleman lost 7-6, 6-1 to Tara Echol. Templeton made quick work of Lyndsay Ottosen, 6-2, 6-2, but also suffered a loss at the hands of Echol, losing 10-3 in the third set. Garland advanced to the quarter final after receiving a first-round bye, defeating Katie Goepel 6-3, 6-3. She too came up short of a win, falling 6-1, 7-5, to Julianna Gajic.
The next week in Plano, Durham fell in the second round to SMU's Natalia Bubien, 6-2, 6-2. Ring also lost in the second round, coming up short 10-6 in the third set to Lyndsay Ottosen of Murray State. Templeton worked her way to the quarterfinals beating Oklahoma's Chelsea Orr and Dallas Baptist's Lauren White, but fell 6-1, 6-1 to Katarina Gajic. Coleman was the next Lady Raider to fall losing 6-4, 6-4 in the semi-finals to Juliana Gajic. Garland made her way through the bracket defeating five opponents and was set to face Gajic in the finals. Unfortunately, she had to default the match in order to return to Lubbock for summer classes.
In doubles play, the duo of Durham and Garland swept the competition by winning both tournaments in Abilene and Plano. In the finals in Abilene, they defeated Abilene Christian's Meagan Brown and Aina Rafolomanantsiatosika 8-6. In Plano, Texas, they defeated SMU's Bubien and Claire Rietsch 8-3. Coleman and Templeton also paired in Abilene winning the first match 8-6, but lost in the quarterfinals.
Templeton transfers to Tech after playing at the University of Oregon, where she tabbed in a 6-2 singles, 4-3 doubles record in 2005. Ring comes to TTU after recently graduating from Pendleton High Bolletteiri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Her sophomore year she advanced to the 4A Doubles Final Four with Friendswood High in Friendswood, Texas.
Coleman hails from Levelland, where she earned All-District doubles and singles honors, including playing No. 1 in singles and doubles her freshman year at Whiteface High. Lastly, Garland will join the squad this upcoming season after receiving both singles and doubles honors playing for Coronado High in Lubbock. She was ranked No. 1 by the USTA in the 18-year-old division in doubles, leading to a recent 5A state doubles championship at Coronado High.
Over 20,000 men and women have competed in circuit events since it began in 1993. The idea of Indiana head women's tennis coach Lin Loring, the circuit provides college and junior players the opportunity to compete in organized events virtually year round.
It is made up of six regional circuits, East, Southeast, Midwest, Central, Southwest and West, and each region consists of four consecutive open tournaments played during the month of July. The final tournament of the series is the ITA National Summer Championships in Bloomington, Ind., starting August 11.
The winning men's and women's singles and doubles teams will receive wild cards into the main draws of the 2007 ITA Men's and Women's All-American Championships. The finalists in men's and women's singles and doubles will also receive wild cards into the qualifying draws of the ITA All-American Championships in the fall.
There are two tournaments remaining in the circuit, with the next being hosted by UT-Arlington on July 21-24, and the final held at Texas A&M on July 28-30. For more information and complete results, visit www.itatennis.com.
Players Mentioned
