Quick trip for Warhawks in ITA tournament

Jonah Bostick

ULM Tennis traveled to Baton Rouge for the ITA Southern Regional in hopes of a strong showing on a big stage at LSU. It was the first event for the team since the Northwestern State Fall Invitational in September. 

The Warhawks didn’t last long in the ITA Tournament as they were eliminated in either the qualifying round or the first round of the main draw in both the singles and doubles events. 

In the singles qualifying round, the Warhawks featured five players in the competition for a spot in the main draw. Mackenzie King lost in two sets by scores of 6-0 and 6-1 to Irene Artigas Taberner from Jacksonville State. Alice Klinteby lost 6-3 and 6-2 to Alexis Lopez from Samford. Marlam Hatem forced a seventh point in the first set against Otoha Aoki from South Alabama but lost the second set 6-2. The same outcome occurred versus McNeese State’s Ariane Monlleo Sanchis for Giovanna Pereira. Tamara Bachmann was defeated in two sets by Caraline Scheufler.

In the singles main draw, Oleksandra Balaba was the lone Warhawk in the first round. She lost in two sets to Annalisa Smith from UAB.

Two teams competed for the Warhawks in the doubles qualifying stage and one team played in the main draw. Bachmann and Klinteby were eliminated 8-3 by Jacksonville State’s Zuzana Pavelekova and Dariana Prato. King and Hatem lost 8-2 to another pair of Jacksonville State players in Ella Tuomela and Anna Syrova. Pereira and Balaba competed in the main draw and lost 8-2 to Angelique Berrat and Carla Urchoeguia from Louisiana Lafayette. 

The fall season for the Warhawks will conclude with the Louisiana Tech Invitational. The meet will take place on the weekend from Saturday, Nov. 12 through Sunday, Nov. 13. Non-conference play will start on Jan. 19 against Ole Miss, and conference play will begin March 11 at Marshall.