George Washington University

Oct. 13, 2012

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The George Washington women’s tennis team opened the first day of the fourth annual Navy Blue & Gold Invitational on Friday with three doubles and five singles victories at the Midshipmen’s Brigade Sports Complex.

The Colonials are competing against Hofstra, James Madison, Long Island, host Navy, Pittsburgh, Towson and UMBC throughout the three-day tournament.

Opening the day with doubles action, junior Leah Pascarella and freshman Stephanie Wei teamed up to defeat Navy’s Noelle Kaufmann and Erin Snook, 8-4, in Round 1 of Flight A, but the pair fell to Amanda and Molly Wickman of Pittsburgh, 8-4, in the second round. The duo of senior Mimi Hamling and freshman Lana Robins fell to Long Island’s Taysha Blessington and Sanne Louwers, 8-4, in their lone Flight A match.

In Flight B the rookie pair of Christina Carpenter and Egle Jakuciunaite earned an 8-6 win over Towson’s Lorena Ferrer and Nisha Shah in Round 1, then took care of Cassandra Fishbeck and Darien Sears of Navy, 9-8 (4), in Round 2. Also competing in Flight B, junior Isabella Escobar and senior Dorota Lysienia earned a bye through Round 1, then dropped an 8-1 match in Round 2 to Long Island’s Lisa Maas and Nancy Zonneveld.

Pascarella opened Flight A singles with an easy 6-4, 6-0 win over James Madison’s Jacqueline Palmucci. In the same flight, Robins fell to Blessington by scores of 6-3, 6-1. The Colonials went undefeated in Flight B singles over two Hofstra opponents as Wei took down Sonia Tsay, 6-2, 6-1, and Hamling nearly blanked Sarah Bowen, 6-2, 6-0.

Jakuciunaite fell to UMBC’s Josefin Stange-Jonsson, 6-0, 6-4, in Flight C singles and Lysienia dropped a tough three-set match to Taylor Washington of Pittsburgh, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 10-8. In Flight D play, Escobar defeated Navy’s Carrie Laskey, 6-3, 6-3, and Carpenter earned a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Shannon Cleary of UMBC.

Singles and doubles action at the Brigade Sports Complex continues at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

 

Navy Blue & Gold Invitational
Doubles
Flight A
Leah Pascarella/Stephanie Wei (GW) def. Noelle Kaufmann/Erin Snook (USNA) – 8-4
Amanda Wickman/Molly Wickman (PITT) def. Leah Pascarella/Stephanie Wei (GW) – 8-4

Taysha Blessington/Sanne Louwers (LIU) def. Mimi Hamling/Lana Robins (GW) – 8-4

Flight B
Christina Carpenter/ Egle Jakuciunaite (GW) def. Lorena Ferrer/Nisha Shah (TOWSON) – 8-6
Christina Carpenter/ Egle Jakuciunaite (GW) def. Cassandra Fishbeck/Darien Sears (USNA) – 9-8 (4)

Isabella Escobar/Dorota Lysienia (GW) – BYE
Lisa Maas/Nancy Zonneveld (LIU) def. Isabella Escobar/Dorota Lysienia (GW) – 8-1

Singles
Flight A
Leah Pascarella (GW) def. Jacqueline Palmucci (JMU) – 6-4, 6-0
Taysha Blessington (LIU) def. Lana Robins (GW) – 6-3, 6-1

Flight B
Stephanie Wei (GW) def. Sonia Tsay (HOF) – 6-2, 6-1
Mimi Hamling (GW) def. Sarah Bowen (HOF) – 6-2, 6-0

Flight C
Josefin Stange-Jonsson (UMBC) def. Egle Jakuciunaite (GW) – 6-0, 6-4
Taylor Washington (PITT) def. Dorota Lysienia (GW) – 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 10-8

Flight D
Isabella Escobar (GW) def. Carrie Laskey (USNA) – 6-3, 6-3
Christina Carpenter (GW) def. Shannon Cleary (UMBC) – 7-5, 6-3