Sophomore Katarina Su returns the ball at the Georgia Southern Invite. She finished first in the singles draw of the Invite. Paired-up with freshman Anna Fuhr, she also finished fourth in the main doubles draw. / Courtesy of Emory Athletics
The women’s tennis team faced off against Division I and NAIA opposition last weekend at the Georgia Southern Invite. The team posted a combined 15-4 record in singles matches and a 9-5 doubles record on the weekend.
The team went to the tournament to play against some new competition, Head Coach Amy Bryant said.
“Everyone was pushed in either singles or doubles,” she said.
Sophomore Katarina Su’s performance highlighted the singles competition, as she defeated opponents from Presbyterian College (S.C.) and Savannah State University (Ga.), before narrowly falling to host Georgia Southern University’s Jordana Klein in two sets, 7-5, 6-4.
Despite the eventual loss, Bryant said she was proud of Su’s performance.
“She played well and lost a tough one,” Bryant said.
Junior Beatrice Rosen secured the final place in the top three for Emory, securing a third place finish after previously falling to Klein.
Freshmen Julie Fowler, Bridget Harding and Anna Fuhr also impressed in singles play, as each, along with junior Marissa Levine, went 3-0 in singles matches.
The doubles team of Rosen and sophomore Melissa Goodman enjoyed a strong tournament, winning all four of their matches on the weekend as well as the doubles event.
The two had not previously played together, but looked like long-time partners.
“[The pair] set each other up well and looked comfortable with each other,” Bryant said.
Rosen attributed some of their success to both herself and Goodman being especially excited for this competition.
“[We were] motivated and pumped up. We were focused and took one point at a time,” she said.
Rosen and Goodman defeated the Georgia State pair of Anna Kurzweil and Daria Vasekina, 8-6.
While the Invite was the debut outing for the Rosen-Goodman pairing, it is unlikely it will be its last.
“[Goodman] did a great job as a partner. I had a lot of fun with her,” Rosen said.
Fuhr and Su finished fourth in the doubles event. Harding, along with sophomore Michelle Satterfield, finished second in the consolation draw. The team of Fowler and Levine posted a 4-1 record.
Rosen, along with the doubles team of Su and Fuhr, will travel to Sumter, S.C. this Thursday for the Small College Nationals, a tournament they qualified for as a result of winning regionals in September.
Competing in the singles tournament, Rosen hopes to propel herself with the momentum generated at the Georgia Southern Invite, she said.
“[The key is] staying incredibly focused and fighting for every point,” Rosen said.
The entire team will return to competition on Oct. 17, traveling to nearby Georgia Gwinnett College, which is the team’s last tournament until February. The results in the final tournaments of the fall season will help the team set goals that will impact their off-season work, which will include strength and conditioning in addition to team members playing one another, Bryant said.
– By Oliver Rockman, Staff Writer
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