October 4, 2011

Biro/Davitaia qualify for ITA Small College Nationals

Winning the doubles portion of the 2011 USTA/ITA Central Regional Championships played Friday through Sunday in Oklahoma City, OK, Cowley College sophomores Zsofia Biro and Diana Davitaia qualified to compete at the USTA/ITA National Small College Championships in Mobile, AL.

Biro and Davitaia went 3-0 on the weekend and rallied from a 4-6 loss of the first set in the finals against Seminole State’s Chloe Murphy and Taylor Spradlin. After the loss of the first set, Biro and Davitaia regrouped to dominate the next two sets by scores of 6-2, 6-0.

“Zsofia and Diana made adjustments in the second set and their level of play really increased,” Cowley head coach Josh Cobble said.

The talented doubles tandem should benefit from the opportunity to play at the National Small College Championships in Mobile, AL, Oct. 13-16.

“It will be a great opportunity for them to see the top junior college teams in the country and be able to compete against teams they would not necessarily see,” Cobble said. “It will be good for them to get national level competition early in the year.”

Davitaia nearly qualified in singles as well before losing to Chloe Murphy 4-6, 7-5, 3-6 in the finals.

On the men’s side, Cowley sophomores Nei Dos Santos and Zack Evenden won their first two matches and advanced to the finals before losing to Seminole State’s Oliver Andersen and Admire Mushonga 5-7, 4-6.

With six region winners making up the eight doubles teams at the Small College Championships, Dos Santos and Evenden still have a chance at qualifying for the national tournament as a wild card selection. The announcement of the two wild card entries will not be made until later this week.

Cobble also saw good things from sophomores Conner Tebow and Kristin Richardson at the tournament.

“I saw some of the best tennis most of our players have played since they have been here,” Cobble said. “The level of competition seemed to make them step up their play.”

Prior to the Small College Championships, the Tiger tennis teams will play at Drury University in Springfield, MO Sunday at 1 p.m.

Results:
WOMEN
DOUBLES

• Biro/Davitaia (CC) defeated Shannon Beckett/Jean Ochs (Johnson County) 6-1, 6-4; defeated Ashley Coleman/Trevine Sellier (Seminole) 6-0, 6-2; defeated Chloe Murphy/Taylor Spradlin (Seminole) 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 in the finals.
  
• Lexie Maytubby/Mariah Vargas (CC) defeated Dariya Dashutina/Sandri Munoz (Seward) 2-6, 6-4, 10-6; lost to Murphy/Spradlin (Seminole) 1-6, 2-6.
  
• Ariana Raga/Kristin Richardson (CC) lost to Murphy/Spradlin (Seminole) 2-6, 4-6.

SINGLES

• Davitaia (CC) defeated Richardson (CC) 6-1, 6-1; defeated Dashutina (Seward) 6-2, 4-6, 7-5; lost to Murphy (Seminole) 4-6, 7-5, 3-6.
  
• Richardson (CC) defeated Salitza Abrantes (Seward) 6-1, 6-2; lost to Davitaia (CC) 1-6, 1-6.
  
• Raga (CC) defeated Sellier (Seminole) 6-2, 6-4; lost to Dashutina (Seward) 1-6, 0-6.
  
• Maytubby (CC) lost to Shannon Beckett (Johnson County) 1-6, 0-6.
  
• Biro (CC) defeated Ashley Coleman (Seminole) 6-0, 6-1; lost to Murphy (Seminole) 6-7, 0-6.

MEN
DOUBLES

• John Ward/Josh Golding (CC) lost to Lucas Izkovitz/Justin Pena (Seward) 6-7, 3-6.
  
• Dos Santos/Evenden (CC) defeated Daniel De Zamacona/Maksim Fil (Johnson County) 6-3, 7-5; defeated Riccardo Bassani/Cristiano Mendes (Seward) 6-1, 6-2; lost to Anderson/Mushonga (Seminole) 5-7, 4-6.

SINGLES

• Evenden (CC) defeated Felipe Cruz (Seward) 6-2, 6-1; defeated Fil (Johnson County) 6-1, 6-0; lost to Anderson (Seminole) 5-7, 6-7.
  
• Golding (CC) lost to Fil (Johnson County) 6-3, 6-7, 4-6.
  
• Tebow (CC) lost to Edgar Vitkovski (Seminole) 3-6, 6-7.
  
• Ward (CC) lost to Bassani (Seward) 1-6, 4-6.