GREENWOOD, Ind. – The McKendree University women's tennis team sent two players to compete at the ITA Midwest Regional Championships this weekend hosted by the University of Indianapolis and held at Center Grove High School.
McKendree's competitors that played at the ITA Midwest Regional Championships were junior
Viola Cipriani (Arezzo, Italy/Liceo Classico Francesco Petarca) and sophomore
Camilla Fonseca (Rio de Janiero/Brazil/Colegio Saber). Cipriani and Fonseca each played in the 'A" draw for both singles and doubles.
In the 'A' singles draw, the McKendree duo posted a 1-3 overall record as the only win was recorded by Fonseca in the round of 64 as she defeated Franca Bucco Paolasso of Illinois-Springfield, 7-5, 6-1 to advance to the round of 32 where she fell to Estefania Hernandez of Grand Valley State, 6-2, 6-4.
Meanwhile, Cipriani opened the round of 64 with a 6-2, 6-1 loss to Hilldale's Sophia Spinazze and with that loss, she fell into the 'A' Draw Consolation Bracket as Cipriani lost to Michigan Tech's Lauren Opalewski, 6-3, 7-5.
Along with playing singles, Cipriani and Fonseca, who are McKendree's No. 1 doubles team, played doubles together at the ITA Midwest Regionals and the pair went 1-2 as they reached the round of 16 of the 'A' Draw consolation bracket.
Cipriani and Fonseca opened the doubles competition with an 8-4 setback to Grand Valley State's duo of Taylor Barrett and Vasileia Griva in the round of 64 to fall into the consolation bracket. In the consolation bracket, the Bearcat pair picked up an 8-6 win over Findlay's duo of Madison Arquette and Zuzanna Krygier, before earning a bye in the round of 16 and then ending their stay in the event on Sunday with an 8-5 loss in the quarterfinals of the consolation round to Hillsdale's tandem of Elizabeth McGivern and Canela Luna.
Cipriani, Fonseca and the remainder of the McKendree women's tennis team will conclude its 2021 fall season on Saturday, Oct. 2 with a 1 p.m. match against Missouri Valley State at Triad High School in Troy, Ill. The Bearcats are scheduled to open its 2022 spring schedule on Friday, Feb. 11 against Missouri Baptist University at the St. Clair Tennis Center in Belleville, Ill.
