Last weekend, the K-State women’s tennis team competed in the ITA Regional Championship at the Greenwood Tennis Center in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
It was not a particularly successful showing for the Wildcats unfortunately, as no one made it past the round of 32.
It looked all too promising as K-State sophomores Sara Castellano and Carolina Costamagna, as well as freshman Ana Garcia Navas, all advanced to the round of 32. This put the Wildcats in what looked to be good odds to see at least one of the three in the next round; however, it was not to be.
Junior Iva Bago was ousted in the first round by Wichita State senior Aleksandra Trifunovic 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Bago, however, would put in work in the consolation matches, winning three of her four matches.
As for the others, things looked promising until they were blanked.
Castellano started the tournament with a bang as she defeated Southern Illinois University Edwardsville freshman Mia Frogner 7-5, 6-1.
Next match, she would once again prosper as she toppled Minnesota sophomore Mehvish Safdar 6-2, 6-3.
Castellano finally would be eliminated by Kansas freshman Summer Collins 6-4, 7-6.
Costamagna would also win her first two matches; first defeating UMKC sophomore Marina Albert 6-0, 6-0, then outmatching Arkansas junior Shannon Hudson 7-5, 2-6, 6-2.
She would finally be knocked out by another Jayhawk, freshman Smith Hinton, who won 6-1, 6-3.
Lastly, Garcia Navas would also win her first two. She gave Drake sophomore Summer Brills the boot by a score of 6-2, 6-1 then besting Missouri sophomore Brittany Lashway 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
She was finally be retired, though, by Tulsa freshman Ksenia Laskutova 6-2, 6-3.
In doubles, the Wildcats once again could not advance past the round of 32.
The duo of Garcia Navas and Bago defeated freshman Janelle Wilson and junior Kenzie Hill of University of Nebraska Omaha by a score of 8-1. Navas and Bago’s luck would soon run out as they were eliminated next round by Oklahoma State juniors Viktoriya Lushkova and Carla Tur Mari 8-3.
Castellano and Costamagna would also win their first doubles match of the tournament then proceed to lose the second.
The power team toppled UMKC sophomore Allie Schulte and junior Linda Ammar Mouhoub 8-4, but lost the next match against Midwestern State seniors Ema Turudija and Miranda Poile 8-4.
The meet will start Friday at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center in Des Moines, Iowa for the Drake Jamboree.
