Tennis causes a racket at Augie Invite
LUCAS TOUTGE
lmtoutge17@ole.augie.edu
The Augie women’s tennis team is celebrating yet another successful performance in its fall schedule after last weekend’s Augustana Invite.
Last weekend the Huether Tennis Centre was all blue and gold, as not a single match was dropped amongst the entire team. The Vikings outscored their University of Sioux Falls and University of Mary opponents 141-31.
At the conclusion of Saturday’s matches, only Augustana players remained in the tournament bracket, so the matches scheduled for Sunday were never played.
Sophomore Grace Goble said, “[The invite] has some of our first matches so I guess it’s kind of getting our jitters out and getting our nerves out and seeing where the team is at.”
A game like Saturday’s paves the way for a how the team will perform down the road.
Junior Taylor Jackson said, “The invite was kind of like our warm-up for our ITAs coming up, our regional tournament in Oklahoma.”
Jackson said that it is great to keep this kind of momentum going for the team. “It starts in practice, and then we use that for our matches. It just kinda rolls off of each other.”
Jackson credits coach Mark Kurtz for the team’s consistent success. “[Kurtz] wants us to do well,” Jackson said. “He wants us to want it, too. And then we want to keep that going as much as we can.”
Jackson’s goal for the season is to play well and consistently. “Tennis is a mental sport so it can be really up and down. I can still play well and lose a match,” she said.
In A Singles, senior Kornelia Staniszewska finished 1-0, beating her Mary opponent 6-1, 6-0, junior Anca Rusu finished 1-0, beating her USF opponent in a tiebreaker 3-6, 6-3, (12-10). Freshman Lau Arce Vieyra finished 1-0, beating her Mary opponent 6-3, 6-3.
In B Singles, Jackson and Goble both finished 2-0, each beating their USF opponents 6-0, 6-1. Jackson won her subsequent match over her USF opponent 6-1, 6-3 and Goble ended her day with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over her Mary opponent.
In C Singles, junior Annika Teske went 2-0, first sweeping her USF opponent 6-0, 6-0 and then beating her Mary opponent 6-3, 6-1, while junior Rebecca Falkner finished off both her USF and Mary opponents 6-1, 6-1.
In doubles matches, Augie finished with an overall record of 6-0.
Next weekend the Vikings will be traveling to Edmond, Oklahoma, where they will play in the ITA Central Regional tournament.
