UTAH STATE FALL INVITATIONAL: Women tennis finish strong
A pair of Aggies came out on top in both the singles and doubles brackets of the Utah State Fall Invitational tournament, held Friday and Saturday at the Sports Academy and Racket Club.
USU sophomore Hailey Swenson and senior Bridgette Strickland each played their way into the finals of the flight A singles bracket in Friday’s play, while the duo teamed up to advance to the semifinals of the doubles tournament going into Saturday.
After dropping the first set in her quarterfinal match 3-6, Strickland came back with a narrow victory in the second set to force a decisive third set, which she won 6-4 over Weber State’s Grayce Farias.
Swenson cruised to a straight set victory over Weber State’s Brittiny Moore by a final of 6-0, 6-3 in quarterfinal play.
In the semifinal round Swenson logged another straight-set victory, this time over Weber State junior Keya Adamson by a 7-5, 6-0 final. Strickland defeated WSU’s Caroline Grugge in three sets 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 to advance to the finals round to face Swenson.
“In the women’s final, getting both of our girls in there was really good,” USU head coach Christian Wright said. “I’m really happy with the way they’re setting up points and their strategy.”
Swenson went on to beat Strickland in straight sets 6-1, 6-2 in the finals match of the flight A bracket.
In the flight B bracket, USU’s Monica Calleja and Marie Livingston both logged straight-set victories in the quarterfinal round before both falling in three sets in the flight B semifinal.
In doubles play, two separate pairs of Aggie teammates advanced to the semifinal round. Calleja and Taylor Perry of USU posted an 8-2 victory over WSU’s Lori Gallup and Alyssia Pyne. The doubles team of Swenson and Strickland played their way to an 8-3 win over Farias and Markay Mullen of Weber State.
The doubles semifinal round pitted two pairs of teammates against each other from both USU and WSU. Swenson and Strickland defeated teammates Calleja and Perry 8-2 to advance to the finals of the doubles tournament. In the other semifinal match, WSU’s pair of Adamson and Moore fell to Drugge and Karlie Hancock by a 9-7 final.
Drugge and Hancock were beaten 8-3 in the doubles final by Swenson and Strickland.
Next on the Aggie women’s schedule is the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regionals, starting Oct. 15 in Salt Lake City.
–matt.sonn@aggiemail.usu.edu