By: KSU Sports Information
Tournament Draws I Tournament Site
KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State women’s tennis team is set to wrap up its most successful fall season in program history this weekend as it will compete in the Duckworth First Annual Fall Classic from Oct. 28-30 on the campus of Clemson University.
The Owls will look to use their confidence that was gained from last weekend’s performance at the ITA Southeast Regionals to finish their fall season off strong.
Sophomore Alexandra Apostu led the way for the Black and Gold securing Kennesaw State’s second ever main draw singles win as she had to come back to beat Central Florida’s Gen Lorbergs, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1. Senior Vera Shkundina also picked up a couple wins last weekend as she advanced to all the way to the quarterfinals of the singles consolation draw before falling to Georgia Tech’s Jasmine Minor, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
The tournament features 10 teams, including host school Clemson who finished last season ranked 14th in the nation in the 2010-11 ITA National Team Rankings. The other schools in the field are Anderson University, Armstrong Atlantic, Brenau, Charleston Southern, Chattanooga, Georgia Perimeter, Georgia Southern, Mercer and UT-Martin.
“As a group we are all looking forward to our last event of the fall season,” head coach Jeffery Kutac said. “We will be going up against some pretty good talent this weekend, but our goal is to compete well and to keep improving moving forward.”
A highlight in the draw is Shkundina could possibly face a second round matchup against Clemson’s Nelly Ciolkowski who is the No. 83 ranked player in the 2011 ITA Women's Preseason Singles Rankings. Last weekend, the Ufa, Russia native pushed Georgia Tech’s Jillian O’Neil, who is the No. 21 ranked player in the nation, to the limit in a 6-4, 7-5 loss.
The tournament will begin at 9 a.m. on Friday with doubles play.
