Women’s tennis dominates home invitational
Melika LeBlanc won her second singles championship so far this fall. Photo: Steve Woltmann
The UIC women’s tennis team dominated the competition at its home invitational Saturday, winning three first-place singles finishes and a championship in doubles.
UIC now preps for its final tournament of the fall season, the ITA Midwest Regionals, Oct. 22-26.
At the invitational, sophomore Melika LeBlanc collected her second singles championship of the fall, capturing first-place with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Milwaukee’s Laurie Clark in the Flames Flight. In her first match, LeBlanc blanked Bowling Green’s Drew Fillis 6-0, 6-0 to advance to the semi-finals before defeating Milwaukee’s Hayley Marshall in three sets 6-3, 4-6, 10-7.
In the Blue Flight, sophomore Bianca Zuzu took home the top spot, defeating teammate Rachel Le Comber 6-3, 6-4. Zuzu conquered Bowling Green’s Leeah Floyd 6-2, 6-1 in the first round and Northern Illinois’s Michelle Erasmus in the semi-finals (6-0, 5-7, 10-5).
Also in the Blue Flight, LeComber bested Valparaiso’s Halle Roach in her first match (6-3, 6-2) before defeating Milwaukee’s Alysa Straub in the semi-finals across three sets (6-4, 1-6, 10-4).
Junior Oana Manole earned first place in the Red Flight, defeating Northern Illinois’s Meghan Montgomerie in a straight-set victory 6-3, 6-2. Manole also collected victories against Milwaukee’s Masha Lobanova (6-4, 6-2) and Bowling Green’s Antonina Farrar (6-0, 6-1).
Senior Jackie Altansarnai went 1-1 through competition in the Go Flight, dropping a 1-6, 6-4, 10-6 decision against Valparaiso’s Kathleen Hebble. Altansarnai then defeated Northern Illinois’s Adey Osabuohien 6-1, 6-0.
In doubles, Zuzu and LeBlanc combined to take on teammates Manole and Le Comber for the championship in the B Bracket. Manole and Le Comber came out on top 6-2. In the semifinals, the Manole/Le Comber combination bested Milwaukee’s Lobanova/Shannon 6-0, as Zuzu and LeBlanc defeated Dekkinga/Montgomerie of Northern Illinois 7-6, (3).
