University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Competitive in ITA Summer Circuit
7/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
The University of Minnesota women's tennis student-athletes continued their strong summer this past weekend at the ITA Summer Circuit hosted by Purdue University.
Singles
Caroline Ryba, a junior, advanced all the way to the semifinals before falling to the champion, Sara Castellano of Kansas State. Ryba, the No. 4 seed, won her first match 6-1, 6-1 then won her second match 6-0, 6-0. She continued to cruise as she won in the round of 16 by scores of 6-3, 6-2 and won in the quarterfinals 7-5, 6-0.
Sophomore Annemarie Emme started off strong with a 6-2, 6-2 win in her first match then won her second match 6-0, 6-1. She won in the round of 16 by scores of 5-7, 6-2, 10-3 before being defeated by Ryba in the quarterfinals.
Caitlyn Merzbacher, an upcoming sophomore for the gophers, won her first match 6-0, 6-1. She would continue the streak of strong Gopher performances as she won her second match 6-1, 6-3 and won in the round of 16 after bouncing back from a 5-7 loss and winning the next two sets 6-0, 10-5 before falling in the quarterfinals.
Junior Mehvish Safdar battled her way through to the quarterfinals. She won her first match 6-4, 7-6(5) then she won in the round of 32 by scores of 6-0, 6-3. Safdar battled in the round of 16 where she won 6-3, 3-6, 10-7. She fell in the quarterfinals 6-2, 6-2 to Deborah Suarez of Purdue.
Incoming freshman Karyna Bihel won her first match 6-0, 6-1 and her second match 6-0, 6-3. She fell in the round of 16 to the No. 1 seed.
Doubles
Merzbacher and Safdar would once again team up for the women's doubles where they played into the finals. They won their first match 8-3 then dominated in the round of 16; 8-1. In the quarterfinals the two Gophers won 8-5 and then won by a score of 8-6 in the semifinals.
Emme and Ryba teamed up as the No. 3 seed. After a first round bye the two Gophers won 8-0 in the round of 16 but fell in the quarterfinals to Taylor Tamblyn and Kristen Thoms of Iowa by a score of 8-7(9).
Bihel teamed up with Vinaya Rao of Carnegie Mellon University. The two won their first match 8-0 but fell in the round of 16.
About the ITA Summer Circuit: The Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Summer Circuit is made up of 50 tournaments that take place in 24 states. The circuit takes place over six weekends which ends on the last week in July. Players who advance through the qualifying tournaments will take part in the ITA Summer Nationals on August 13-16, in Bloomington, Ind., at Indiana University. The ITA Summer Circuit gives college players, junior players and alumni an opportunity to compete in organized tournaments during the summer.
Players Mentioned
