Shupirates.com
The Seton Hall Pirates’ women’s tennis team opened up their 2014-15 season over the weekend at the 18th annual Quinnipiac Invitational in Hamden, Conn.
The three day tournament was highlighted by a pair of Pirate newcomers, Katie Kim and Marisa Quevedo meeting in the B flight singles final.
The freshmen found themselves in the quarterfinals after straight set victories in the opening round. The road to an all-Pirate final continued with Katie Kim’s ousting of Providence’s Emma Burgess in a 2-6, 6-4, 10-2 win. Marisa Quevedo was also on the winning end of a three-set match over Army’s Allyson Hayley. Kim and Quevedo both advanced without trouble to the B flight final surely to the delight of head coach Greg Wyzykowski.
The Pirate vs. Pirate final concluded with Kim dropping four of the first five games, only to storm back winning the next four to claim the victory leading 5-4 after Quevedo was forced to retire.
Kim and Quevedo were not the only new members to impress in their debut for the Pirates. Isabell Klingert, a junior-transfer from Gonzaga, was a match away from a spot in the championship round of her flight. The German-native was victorious over Quinnipiac’s Nicole Kelik and Jenise Vargas of Connecticut, before falling in straight-sets to Providence’s Karen Ramirez in the semifinals.
Junior Julia Keenan also made her way to the semifinals in the C flight for the third consecutive time at the Quinnipiac Invitational.
Keenan along with fellow junior and 2014 All-Big East member Hannah Liljekvist paired to advance to the semifinals in the top doubles flight. The duo’s path to the semifinal included victories over Connecticut’s Summer Walker and Srna Stosljevic, as well as Emma Burgess and Alana Prinos of Providence. Keenan and Lilijekvist came out on the losing end of a semifinal showdown opposite of an All-MAAC First Team tandem that included Quinnipiac’s Sophia Dzulynsky and Sydney Young.
The new-look Pirates squad began competition with seven active team members which consisted of senior Anna Guryanova, juniors Julia Keenan, Isabell Klingert, and Hannah Liljekvist, and freshman Katie Kim, Marisa Quevedo, and Luize Liva Strike.
It was an encouraging start to the Hall’s 2014-15 campaign as all seven team members advanced to at least the quarterfinal round of their respective flights.
The Pirates’ will look to build on their early season success in two weeks at the West Point Invitational which will begin on Friday, September 26 and conclude on Sunday, September 28.
Matt Zeigafuse can be reached at matt.zeigafuse@student.shu.edu.
