TUCSON, Ariz. – Repeating a perfect day one at the NJCAA Championship was going to be a tough task for the Barton women’s tennis team.
While an opportunity or two may have passed by for Coach Lyle Stickney and his Cougars, things went about as well as could be expected on day two.
Idah Longwe made it to the quarterfinals at No. 4 singles and teamed with Neus Torregrosa at No. 1 doubles to do likewise.
With those wins, the Cougars sit eighth overall after two days of competition.
Of the seven losses on day two, five were to seeded teams, including three top four seeds.
“All the girls played well,” Coach Stickney said. “We played with some great enthusiasm. I was very proud of our team.”
Longwe breezed through her second round match, defeating Anastasha Worlds of St. Petersburg by a 6-1, 6-2 score. That moved her into the quarterfinals at No. 4 singles where her foe will be the draw’s 2nd seed Bianca Vitale of Broward.
Torregrosa and Longwe had to work their way through three sets once again at No. 1 doubles, but survived over Central Alabama’s Margaret Blackwell and Ashley Coots. The Cougars duo won the match 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3.
That put them in the quarterfinals against the 4th seed in the draw, Mesa’s Naa Ankrah and Khanh Huynh of Mesa.
The Cougars were hoping to pull a bit of an upset with Torregrosa at No. 1 singles meeting up with familiar foe and nemesis Thialita Rodrigues of Seward. But Torregrosa lost the match to end her season, 6-4, 6-3, to the No. 7 seed.
Also finishing with a single’s loss to Seward was Juliana Seabra, losing at No. 3 singles to Lisa Suzuki, 6-1, 6-0.
Rounding out the singles play with losses and ending their season were Julia Romalho at No. 2, Jenna Groene at No. 5 and Shai Cartmill at No. 6.
Romalho lost to the 4th seed Juliette Mary of Eastern Arizona, 6-1, 6-2. Groene lost to the No. 1 seed in her draw, Yuna Ito of Tyler, 6-1, 6-1 and Cartmill lost to Michelle Fournier of Mesa, 6-1, 6-1.
In doubles, the Cougars No. 2 and 3 draws lost to seeded teams as well to end their season.
Romalho and Seabra lost at No. 2 doubles to the 3rd seed and familiar faces Steffany Bermdez and Sarah Manseri of Seward. The Seward duo won 6-2, 6-2.
Groene and Cartmill lost at No. 3 to the 6th seed Cassadra Ruiz and Monica Diaz of St. Petersburg, 6-2, 6-1.
NJCAA Championships at Tucson, Ariz.
Singles
1 – Neus Torregrosa - unseeded
1st Round – Torregrosa def Nadia Hussain, College of DuPage, 6-2, 6-1
Round of 16 – (7) Thialita Rodrigues, Seward, def Torregrosa, 6-4, 6-3
2 – Julia Romalho - unseeded
1st Round – Romalho def Saera Kanda, Collin, 7-5, 6-4
Round of 16 – (4) Juliette Mary, Eastern Arizona, def Romalho, 6-1, 6-2
3 – Julianna Seabra - unseeded
1st Round - Seabra def Kyra Holway, Meridian, 7-6 (1), 7-5
Round of 16 –Lisa Suzuki, Seward, def Seabra, 6-1, 6-0
4 – Idah Longwe - unseeded
1st Round - Longwe def Kacy Howard, Central Alabama, 6-1, 6-1
Round of 16 – Longwe def Anastasha Worlds, St. Petersburg, 6-1, 6-2
Quarterfinals – Longwe v (2) Bianca Vitale, Broward
5 – Jenna Groene – unseeded
1st Round – Groene def Alexis Daniels, Snead State, 6-2, 6-3
Round of 16 – (1) Yuna Ito, Tyler, def Groene, 6-1, 6-1
6 – Shai Cartmill – unseeded
1st Round – Cartmill def Alzaya Ambriz, Paradise Valley, 6-1, 6-3
Round of 16 –Michelle Fournier, Mesa, def Cartmill, 6-1, 6-1
Doubles
1 – Torregrosa/Longwe – 7th seed
1st Round – (7) Torregrosa/Longwe def Bou/Ingram, Marion Military, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
Round of 16 – (7) Torregrosa/Longwe def Blackwell/Coots, Central Alabama, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3
Quarterfinals – (7) Torregrosa/Longwe v (4) Ankrah/Huyhn, Mesa
2 – Romalho/Seabra – unseeded
1st Round – Romalho/Seabra def Nguyen/Ochoa, Pima, 6-2, 6-3
Round of 16 – (3) Bermudez/Manseri, Seward def Romalho/Seabra, 6-2, 6-2
3 – Groene/Cartmill – unseeded
1st Round – Groene/Cartmill def Cheshier/Hayes, Central Alabama, 6-1, 6-2
Round of 16 – (6) Ruiz/Diaz, St. Petersburg def Groene/Cartmill, 6-2, 6-1.
