Lavender's Run Ends at ITA Oracle Championships
Newport Beach, California- Sophomore Elyse Lavender lost a close match (6-1, 2-6, 7-5) to #4 seed Alexa Graham of UNC-Chapel Hill in the second round of the 2019 ITA Oracle Fall Championships on Thursday.
After dropping the first set, 6-1, Lavender rallied to win the second set, 6-2. The final set was a hotly contested one that saw only one break of serve. Graham, the fourth ranked player in NCAA Division I, narrowly escaped Lavender's upset bid, 7-5, to advance in the tournament.
"It's just been a fantastic fall for Elyse and Brenau tennis," said head coach Andre Ferreria. "I'm really proud of her. She had not competed regularly for over a year and to accomplish what she did in her first semester is incredible."
"She got through our tough NAIA ITA Regional, qualified for and won the ITA Cup against the top NAIA players, and then competed neck and neck against top NCAA I opponents at the Oracle ITA Fall Championships. She came really close to upsetting her highly ranked opponent from UNC yesterday. She kept improving from week to week, tournament to tournament, and consistently challenged herself to get better."
"The exciting part for me is to watch how our team has gotten closer throughout the process. I think I'm not the only one enjoying the experience. Along with Elyse, we have an incredible group of new and returning team players. Everyone is motivated and hungry for the season ahead. "
The tennis team begins the spring season on February 5th in a non-conference matchup against the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega.