KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan women's tennis team wrapped up a near-perfect day in their first home competition of the season, going a dominant 18-2 on the opening day of the 2014 Bronco Invitational at West Hills Athletic Club. Play will conclude tomorrow with more doubles and singles action for all four teams.
The day began with a doubles sweep of IUPUI, as the Broncos took all three matches from the Jaguars. Olivia Myers and Meika Ashby got their days rolling with a 6-1 win over Rachel Swartwood and Samantha Mayer, while Tracy Kuhle and Caroline Aleck cruised past Valeriia Lavrenchuk and Abbey Neff to the tune of a 6-0 score. Wrapping up the doubles effort against the Jaguars was the pairing of Barbare Eristavi and Yuriko Ono, who beat Bobbi Modesto and Rachael Bridegroom by a 6-2 score.
Two of those doubles pairings went on to pick up wins later in the afternoon, as well. Myers and Ashby picked up a breezy win over Oakland's pairing of Karine Celis and Juliana Guevara, defeating them 6-3, while the duo of Eristavi and Ono dominated Camille Hemond-Hills and Maxime Colen by a 6-2 score.
The Broncos' first foray into singles action was also successful, with WMU taking all six singles matches against Oakland, all five against Chicago State, and a pair against IUPUI. Singles play began with the session against Oakland; Ashby got things off on the right foot with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Camille Sabourin, and Myers survived a tight match against Celis in winning 6-4, 6-3. Eristavi very nearly shut out her opponent, beating Guevara 6-1, 6-0, and Kuhle nearly posted an identical score in winning 6-2, 6-0 over Elizabeth Guy. Ono downed Hemond-Hills 6-4, 6-2, and Aleck bounced back from a first-set loss to beat Blum 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (3).
The early session also featured a pair of extra singles matches against IUPUI, with a pair of Bronco freshman picking up wins. Ella Perinovic took a close second set against Bridegroom to win 6-1, 7-5, while Labina Petrovska downed the Jaguars' Marina Schneiger 6-1, 6-1.
The day ended with a perfect effort against Oakland in singles play, with five Broncos picked up their second wins of the day. Ashby cruised past Hanna Pangestu in a perfect 6-0, 6-0 effort, a score that was matched by Myers in her 6-0, 6-0 win over Lorea Gamboa. Eristavi took a quick match over Leshia Gadacz to the tune of a 6-2, 6-0 score. Kuhle overcame Faith Huckabee in a three-set match, coming back from a first-set loss to win 5-7, 6-3, 1-0 (5), and Ono got a win over Marnie Perez-Ochoa after her opponent withdrew trailing in the second set.
Western Michigan vs. IUPUI (Doubles)
Olivia Myers/Meika Ashby (WMU) def. Rachel Swartwood/Samantha Mayer (IUPUI) 6-1
Tracy Kuhle/Caroline Aleck (WMU) def. Valeriia Lavrenchuk/Abbey Neff (IUPUI) 6-0
Barbare Eristavi/Yuriko Ono (WMU) def. Bobbi Modesto/Rachael Bridegroom (IUPUI) 6-2
Camille Hemond-Hills/Maxime Colen (OU) def. Labina Petrovska/Ella Perinovic (WMU) 6-2
Western Michigan vs. Oakland (Singles)
Meika Ashby (WMU) def. Camille Sabourin (OU) 6-1, 6-1
Olivia Myers (WMU) def. Karine Celis (OU) 6-4, 6-3
Barbare Eristavi (WMU) def. Juliana Guevara (OU) 6-1, 6-0
Caroline Aleck (WMU) def. Tamara Blum (OU) 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (3)
Yuriko Ono (WMU) def. Camille Hemond-Hills (OU) 6-4, 6-2
Tracy Kuhle (WMU) def. Elizabeth Guy (OU) 6-2, 6-0
Ella Perinovic (WMU) def. Rachael Bridegroom (IUPUI) 6-1, 7-5
Labina Petrovska (WMU) def. Marina Schneiger (IUPUI) 6-1, 6-1
Western Michigan vs. Oakland (Doubles)
Olivia Myers/Meika Ashby (WMU) def. Karine Celis/Juliana Guevara (OU) 6-3
Elizabeth Guy/Tamara Blum (OU) def. Tracy Kuhle/Caroline Aleck (WMU) 6-4
Barbare Eristavi/Yuriko Ono (WMU) def. Camille Hemond-Hills/Maxime Colen (OU) 6-2
Western Michigan vs. Chicago State (Singles)
Meika Ashby (WMU) def. Hanna Pangestu (CSU) 6-0, 6-0
Barbare Eristavi (WMU) def. Leshia Gadacz (CSU) 6-2, 6-0
Olivia Myers (WMU) def. Lorea Gamboa 6-0, 6-0
Yuriko Ono (WMU) def. Marnie Perez-Ochoa (CSU) 6-1, 4-1, ret.
Tracy Kuhle (WMU) def. Faith Huckabee (CSU) 5-7, 6-3, 1-0 (5)
