Spartans Dominate Florida Tech Fall Tennis Invitational

MELBOURNE, Fla. - The University of Tampa tennis team began its preseason competition at the Panther Invitational, which was hosted by Sunshine State Conference opponent Florida Tech. Overall, the Spartans claimed four singles titles and one doubles championship.

In the Women's Flight 1 Doubles, the team of Lauren Hewett and Meg Wladimirski advanced to the championship match by picking up a pair of victories before falling to Florida Tech's nationally-ranked duo of Kristina Huba and Natasa Vukovic. Kelsey Matthews and Katherine Pyne also competed in flight one, winning their first match before falling to Huba and Vukovic. The pair then dropped the third-place match to Palm Beach Atlantic.

Thashia Garcia and Jenelle Morgan breezed through the Women's Flight 2 Doubles, dropping just three games in three matches. After topping Palm Beach Atlantic and Florida State-Jacksonville, Garcia and Morgan met their teammates Viviana Tedino and Lindsay Nochowicz in the final. Garcia and Morgan prevailed 8-2 to claim the title.

Garcia and Wladimirski both represented the Spartans in the Women's Flight 1 Singles Draw, as Garcia advanced to the finals before falling to the nation's No. 5-ranked player in Huba. Garcia took Huba to three sets as the final score was 6-0. 4-6, 10-5. Wladimirski was defeated in the semifinals by7 Huba, but regrouped to win the third-place match by a 6-1, 6-1 score over No. 24 Veena Vasquez from Palm Beach Atlantic.

Nochowicz and Hewett were placed in the Women's Flight 2 Singles, with Nochowicz winning all three matches to take first place. Hewett dropped her first match, but would respond with a pair of straight-set wins to claim the top spot in the consolation.

Matthews championed the Women's Flight 3 Singles draw, defeating Tedino for the title. Tedino came out on top of a three-set thriller in the semifinals as Matthews won the prize after the 6-1, 6-2 victory.

Tampa also picked up a pair of championships from Pyne and Morgan, who took the Flight 4 and 5 titles. Both players won their three matches in straight sets as Morgan dropped just four games in six sets of singles action.

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