Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Bucknell Invitational
Bison Women's Tennis Puts Three in Championship Matches at Bucknell Invite
10/4/2009 8:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Oct. 4, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell women's tennis put a player in the final of all three singles draws at the Bucknell Invitational, and Dumitrita Iepuras (Chisinau, Moldova/Germantown Friends School) came away with a title on Sunday. Tania Varela (Quito, Ecuador/Alliance Academy) and Liz Larkin (Blue Bell, Pa./Germantown Academy) also enjoyed runs to the championship round to wrap up the final day of the Bison's home tournament.
Iepuras won the Flight B singles, knocking out players from Colgate and Connecticut along the way and doing so in quite an easy fashion. The sophomore's day started off with a 6-1, 6-1 win over the Raiders' Jackie Stimmel. Iepuras' semifinal match ended with the same score, this time showing the exit to the Huskies' Alexa Gregory.
In her first championship match of the season, Iepuras took out her second UConn opponent without trouble. Iepuras broke Abby McKeon's serve every time in the opening set, closing things out at 6-0. A 6-4 win in the second, gave Bucknell its only title of the weekend.
Varela took on Fairleigh Dickinson in each of her three matches and nearly knocked out every one of the Knights. Varela's second-round match ended easily at 6-1, 6-0 over Julia Prantl. The semifinals required a bit more work, as Varela won the first set 6-4 against Julia Korsunova. She dropped the second 6-3, but came back in the super tiebreak with a 10-5 score, putting her in her first final of the fall.
Varela's championship match also required three sets. The senior dropped the first to Elmine Botes, 6-2. The second set looked to be headed in the direction of a tiebreaker, but Varela broke her opponent's serve for a 5-4 lead. Varela served out the set to send the match to a 10-point tiebreak to decide the Flight A Champion.
The beginning of the super tiebreak was not friendly to Varela, who soon found herself trailing 5-2. Trying for yet another comeback, she rallied to even the breaker at 6-6. Botes had the last word, however, and eventually closed things out at 10-7 to steal the title.
Like her teammates, Larkin also advanced to her first tournament final of the year after defeating UConn's Katie Moritz and teammate Carlin Calcaterra (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) in the Flight C draw. The sophomore's day came to a close in the finals, falling to another UConn player, Julia Allen, 6-1, 6-4.
To reach the semifinal showdown with her teammate, Calcaterra knocked out Tina Martine of Fairleigh Dickinson 6-3, 6-1 earlier in the day.
The Bison will have a weekend off before returning to their home courts for another Bucknell Invitational. The combined tournament with the men's team is scheduled to begin Friday, Oct. 16 and run through Sunday, Oct. 18 at the Bucknell Varsity Tennis Courts.
BUCKNELL RESULTS
Doubles
Semifinals
B: McKeon/Gregory (UConn) def. Dwojewski/Iepuras (BU), 8-2
Singles
Second Round
A: Elise DeRose (Colgate) def. Lauren Lucido (BU), 7-5, 6-3
A: Tania Varela (BU) def. Julia Prantl (FDU), 6-1, 6-0
B: Dumitrita Iepuras (BU) def. Jackie Stimmel (Colgate), 6-1, 6-1
B: Dara Dwojewski (BU) def. Lauren Wilmarth (UConn), 6-2, 6-1
C: Julia Allen (UConn) def. Jennie Ciotti (BU), 6-0, 6-1
C: Liz Larkin (BU) def. Katie Moritz (UConn)
C: Carlin Calcaterra (BU) def. Tina Martine (FDU), 6-3, 6-1
Semifinals
A: Tania Varela (BU) def. Julia Korsunova (FDU), 4-6, 6-3, (10-5)
B: Dumitrita Iepuras (BU) def. Alexa Gregory (UConn), 6-1, 6-1
B: Abby McKeon (UConn) def. Dara Dwojewski (BU), 6-3, 6-4
C: Liz Larkin (BU) def. Carlin Calcaterra (BU)
Final
A: Elmine Botes (FDU) def. Tania Varela (BU), 6-2, 4-6, (10-7)
B: Dumitrita Iepuras (BU) def. Abby McKeon (UConn), 6-0, 6-4
C: Julia Allen (UConn) def. Liz Larkin (BU), 6-1, 6-4
Consolation Matches
A: Alison Compitiello (UConn) def. Lauren Rottkamp (BU), 8-7 (11-9)
C: Kirstyn Sotak (BU) def. Catherine Crisotomo (George Mason), 8-4
C: Kirstyn Sotak (BU) def. Stephanie Longueira (George Mason), 8-3
