The Kansas State tennis team traveled to Chapel Hill, North Carolina this weekend to compete in the Kitty Harrison Invitational. The Wildcats had a mix of wins and losses throughout the tournament to conclude its fall collegiate season.
Freshman Margot Decker had a successful weekend, beating a ranked opponent and fighting hard for a three-set victory. Decker took third place in the singles tournament.
On Friday, the Wildcats were outmatched in singles play for the first day of the tournament. The University of South Carolina won five of six matches, but Decker defeated Silvia Chinellato 6-2, 3-6, 1-0 (12-10). Chinellato is ranked number 116 by the International Tennis Association.
Doubles play on Friday went better, as the Wildcats split results against the University of Virginia and the University of North Carolina. Freshman Maria Linares and sophomore Ines Mesquita won their match against Virginia’s Maya Das and Erica Susi, 8-3. They then defeated North Carolina’s Chloe Ouellet-Pizer and Maggie Kane, 8-7(4).
Decker and senior Carolina Costamagna had less desirable results, falling to Virginia’s Chloe Gullickson and Camille Favero, 7-8. The duo was then defeated again by North Carolina’s Marika Akkerman and Cassandra Vazquez, 3-8.
On day two of the tournament, the Wildcats took on Duke and the University of Michigan in singles play and finished 3-2. Decker defeated Michigan’s Alex Najarian in three sets, 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (12-10), and improved her K-State career record to 6-3.
Mesquita bounced back from her loss on day one, defeating Mira Ruder-Hook, 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-8), while Linares topped Michigan’s Kara Hall, 6-3, 6-2, to bounce back from a three-set loss on Friday.
Costamagna fell to Lera Patiuk of Michigan, 3-6, 7-6(5), 0-1 (9-11), and sophomore Meghan King was defeated by Duke’s Ema Laxic, 6-0, 6-1.
In doubles play on Saturday, the Wildcats went 1-2 against the College of William & Mary.
Linares and freshman Anna Turco defeated Lauren Goodman and Cecily Wuenscher, 8-6. Decker and Costamagna were defeated by Clara Tanielian and Vitoria Okuyama, 6-8, while King and Mesquita were topped by Natalia Perry and Olivia Thaler, 6-8.
On the final day of the tournament, K-State faced East Carolina University, finishing 6-9 overall in singles play for the weekend.
Although K-State is finished with its fall collegiate season, it will participate in the Norman International Tennis Federation event on Nov. 11 in Norman, Oklahoma.
