A&T Tennis Looks Impressive At HBCU Championships

JONESBORO, Ga. - The North Carolina A&T women's tennis team had a great showing at the 12^th Annual HBCU National Tennis Championships, which were held at the Clayton County Tennis Center in Sept. 27-30.

Bethune-Cookman won the overall tournament, but the Aggies were able to walk away with a number of individual wins and an idea of what their competition will look like in the spring, when they face a number of the same teams.

Freshman Jayla Scott made it to the B Division semifinal round, falling to the eventual champion Shereen Peterson-Paul, the No. 2 seed from Bethune-Cookman.  Scott went 3-0 to advance to the semifinal round.  Senior Cayla Cross, who earned a No. 4 seeding after making it to the semifinals at the event last fall, picked up a victory in the B Division as well, before losing in the qualifying round.  Junior Kimberly Stalling advanced to the consolation semifinals but had to withdraw from the match due to injury. 

 "I thought we did pretty well," said A&T head coach James Dunwoody.  "We won more than we lost.  I thought we played pretty well."

Senior April Burrage blanked Davita Washington to pick up a consolation round victory.  Senior Nianna Henry advanced to the consolation semifinal and lost a close 9-7 match to Savannah State's Andrea Pavlovic.  Junior Victorea Austin also had a singles win in the tournament.  

In doubles play, the pairings of Austin and Stalling, Cross and Henry, and sophomore Kenya Colbert and Scott produced victories.  Also competing in the meet were freshmen Unique Hawkins and Takeyrah Reid, senior Chloe McSwain and junior Kendra Esparza-Harris.

The Aggies picked up more wins over the weekend than they did at the Elon Fall Invitational two weeks ago, showing early signs of progress.

"Kimberly and Jayla really played well," Dunwoody added. "Their rally ball showed improvement.  They understand the requirements of getting the ball deep into the court, especially Jayla.  She did a really good job for a new person.  We were all happy, including the upperclassmen, in terms of how she played." 

The Aggies will not take the court again until Oct. 18-23, when they compete in the Wake Forest ITA Invitational.  It will end their fall competition schedule.  The Aggies will open their regular season in January. 

Women Singles C Flight

32           BRITTANY MARSHALL (Delaware State) d. UNIQUE HAWKINS     6-0; 6-0
32           ELYSIA ORTIZ (Florida A&M) d. CHLOE MCSWAIN                      6-2; 6-0
32           JESSICA CARSWELL (Bethune-Cookman) d. APRIL BURRAGE     6-1; 6-0
32           ELIZABETH RODRIGUEZ (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) d. TAKEYRAH REID  6-0; 6-1
32           LAURA RODRIGUEZ (Bethune-Cookman) d. KENDRA HARRIS       6-0; 6-0

Consolation:

CQ          (3) ERIKA BOND (Prairie View A&M) d. APRIL BURRAGE                 8-1
R2           (2) CAMARA DAVIS (Southern University) d. UNIQUE HAWKINS      8-1
R2           (3) ERIKA BOND (Prairie Vew A&M) d. CHLOE MCSWAIN                 8-4
R2           JADE DANIELS (Prairie Vew A&M) d. TAKEYRAH REID                     8-3
R2           ELISA HARRISON (Delaware State) d. KENDRA HARRIS                  8-4
R1           APRIL BURRAGE d. DAVITA WASHINGTON (Savannah State)           8-0

Women Singles A Flight

16           MAJA BANAS (Delaware State) d. KIMBERLY STALLING                  2-6; 6-2; 10-8
16           BRITTANY HARRELL (Prairie Vew A&M) d. KENYA COLBERT            6-0; 6-1

Consolation:

CS           LERATO NDLOVU (Prairie Vew A&M) d. KIMBERLY STALLING       Wo (inj)
CQ          (1) MONICA ARCOS (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) d. KENYA COLBERT                   8-2
R1           KIMBERLY STALLING d. CHLOE JEAN-CHARLES (Bethune-Cookman)          8-5

Women Singles B Flight

SF           (2) SHEREEN PETERSON-PAUL (Bethune-Cookman) d. JAYLA SCOTT         6-2; 6-3
Q             JAYLA SCOTT d. (3) KRISTINA ALEKSIC (Delaware State)                  6-3; 4-6; 10-8
Q             LOIS ALEXIS (Southern University) d. (4) CAYLA CROSS                    7-5; 6-4
16           (2) SHEREEN PETERSON-PAUL (Bethune-Cookman) d. VICTOREA AUSTIN  6-3; 6-2
16           JAYLA SCOTT d. VONNICK BOYOGUENO                (Clark Atlanta)   6-0; 6-1
16           (4) CAYLA CROSS d. SHANTAL BLACKWOOD (Florida A&M)           6-3; 4-6; 10-4
16           (1) CHRISTINE GWODOG (Prairie Vew A&M) d. NIANNA HENRY 6-0; 6-0
32           VICTOREA AUSTIN d. ASIA BOYD (Clark Atlanta)                                 6-4; 6-2
32           JAYLA SCOTT d. BELINDA CAMACHO (Bethune-Cookman)                            6-0; 6-0

Consolation:

CS           ANDREA PAVLOVIC (Savannah State) d. NIANNA HENRY                  9-7
CQ          NIANNA HENRY d. ESMIRA GHEISERY (Savannah State)                  Wo (inj)

Women Doubles B Flight

16           BOND/GWODOG (Prairie Vew A&M) d. BURRAGE/REID                                8-0
16           (1) DAVIS/TAYLOR (Southern) d. AUSTIN/STALLING                        Wo (inj)
32           ARCOS/RODRIGUEZ (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) d. HAWKINS/MCSWAIN          8-0
32           AUSTIN/STALLING d. BOYOGUENO/WASHINGTON (Savannah State)      8-4

Women Doubles A Flight

Q             (4) CHINCHILLA/KAJIWARA (Bethune-Cookman) d. CROSS/HENRY           8-3
Q             (3) HARRELL/NDLOVU (Prairie Vew A&M) d. COLBERT/SCOTT     8-4
16           CROSS/HENRY d. GHEISERY/PAVLOVIC (Savannah State)          8-3
16           COLBERT/SCOTT d. BUTLER/DAOLO (Hampton)                         9-7