Tennis Competes at ITA South Regionals

Lawrenceville, Georgia- Members of the Brenau tennis team competed at the prestigious ITA South regionals, hosted by Georgia Gwinnett College this past weekend.

In doubles competition, the pairing of Peeraya Charoensirisutthikul and Juana Zambrano made an outstanding run in the tournament by making it to the final match. After an opening round bye, the #3 seeded team rolled past Taylor Nelson/ Sofia Gualgianone (Reinhardt University), then defeated the #2 team of Natacha Mesa/Maria Way (Tennessee Wesleyan) to advance to the finals.

In the finals, the team fell to the #1 team of Maria Genovese and Eva Siska 6-2, 6-0.

Also in doubles competition, the #4 pairing of Valentina Pabon and MaryWynn Brannon opened with an 8-2 win over Reinhardt's Glauka Carvajal/Kruger but lost to the top-seeds Genovese/Siska 8-4. Additionally, the team of Evelyn Gouveia and Bianca Andersen won their opening match but fell in the quarterfinals.

In the main singles bracket, #4 seeded Peeraya Charoensirisutthikul won her first match 6-1, 6-0 and then defeated #7 Honoka Tsuji from Tennessee Wesleyan, 6-3, 7-6 (4). In the semifinals, the senior fell to top-ranked and eventual champion Maria Genovese 6-0, 6-1.

#5 seed Juana Zambrano also had a strong tournament by easily dispatching Herrera (Point University) 6-1, 6-0, then breezed past Reinhardt University's Kruger by a 6-1, 6-3 margin. However, her strong run ended in the quarterfinals with a loss to Genovese (6-1, 6-1).

Other Golden Tigers singles competitors include Valentina Pabon, who won her opening round match (6-3, 6-0), but lost in the quarterfinals to Tsjuji, 6-1, 6-2. Also freshman MaryWynn Brannon dropped her opening round match in a close loss to Point University's Sofia Villalobos 6-3, 2-6, 10-7.

In the consolation singles competition, sophomore Bianca Andersen received a bye in the opening round, then defeated Reinhardt University's Nelson, 6-3, 6-1 to cruise into the semifinals.

Junior Evelin Gouveia won her opening consolation singles match over Point University's Andrea Ovejero 4-6, 6-4, 10-6, to advance to the quarterfinals. Gouveia then rolled past Sofia Gualgianone from Reinhardt University 6-2, 6-2.

In the semifinals, Andersen edged past Gouveia in a close match (3-6, 6-1, 10-8) to advance to the consolation finals. In the finals, Andersen won by default to win the consolation bracket.

The Golden Tigers next compete on October 18th against Piedmont (Ga.) College and Milligan (Tenn.) College at the Lessie Smithgall Tennis Center in Gainesville.