SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus women's tennis team began its duties as host of the ITA Midwest Regional Championships and fall Midwest Invite on Friday, with multiple Gusties competing – and succeeding – in both fields. Both tournaments feature a total of 30 of the top teams in the region at multiple sites throughout Saint Peter and adjacent areas from Sept. 20-23. Gustavus advanced five individuals in the ITA singles and four doubles teams, which will continue tournament play tomorrow.

ITA Midwest Regional Championship

Singles play began at 9 a.m. Friday morning, as Brooke Haddorff (Sr., Burnsville) picked up the first victory of the day, a 6-0, 6-3 decision over St. Catherine's Monica Zink. Pavla Yakimova (Jr., Glasgow, Scotland), Maya Brakhage (Fy., Boulder, Colo.) and Ella De Young (So., Iowa City, Iowa) also added round one singles victories, each in two sets. Six different Gusties received a first-round bye, as Kaya De Bruijn (Jr., Maasland, Netherlands), Molly Austin (Jr., Arden Hills), Noor Omar (Fy., Fridley), Allison Szalay (Jr., Des Moines, Iowa), Karina Elvestrom (Fy., Minnetonka), and Alli Laux (5th, Onalaska, Wis.) were each seeded high enough to earn the bid through the round of 128.

Haddorff and Yakimova's singles run came to an end in the second round, as Haddorff fell to UW-Eau Claire's Anna Lee, and Yakimova to fellow MIAC athlete Claire Keller of Bethel. De Bruijn debuted in the singles with a 6-2, 6-1 win over UW-Whitewater's Sarah Ferguson, while Austin claimed her match with two scores of 6-2 over Sydney Marin of Grinnell. Szalay and Brakhage both dropped round two heartbreakers, going to third set breakers after each winning their first sets. Karina Elvestrom, in her first ITA tournament, collected a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Luther's Jay Mascardo, while Alli Laux, on the opposite end of her collegiate career, advanced with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Alice Tysoe of Coe. Noor Omar added another win for the Gusties, 6-3, 6-0, over St. Olaf's Olga Zubarieva, while De Young dropped her match to Grinnell's Jarvis in three.

In the doubles, five of seven teams advanced, highlighted by a pair of impressive victories from Brakhage and Lanie Davis (Fy., St. Louis, Mo.). The first-year duo collected an 8-1 win over Carthage, before defeating Carleton's Witter and Smith, seeded No. 9 in the bracket, 8-3. Laux and partner Bethany Smith (So., Maple Grove) won their first and second rounds 8-4 and 8-3, and will face the No. 5-seeded Jarvis and Perrin of Grinnell tomorrow afternoon. Haddorff and Yakimova claimed their first match in doubles play, but eventually fell to No. 9 Chavan and Sargent of Grinnell in the second round. The top two Gustie pairs of Szalay and Austin and De Bruijn and Elvestrom rolled to victories in round one, as two of the top three seeds will continue play tomorrow.

Midwest Invite

The Gusties also excelled in the Midwest Invite, which took place across multiple sites in Saint Peter and surrounding areas. Five different Gusties advanced to the semifinals in their singles draws, while three doubles teams will compete in their semis tomorrow afternoon. 

Ashley Stroebel (Jr., Maplewood) started the day off with a few quick wins, advancing with scores of 6-4, 6-1 and 6-2, 6-3. Taylor Ruhl (Jr., Brainerd), Katie Thompson (Fy., Darlington, England), and Bethany Smith also picked up a pair of two-set victories to advance to their semis, while Veranique Poquette (So., Champlin) battled to a three-set breaker to continue her advancement through the bracket. Ruhl won her sets 6-1, 6-1 and 6-3, 6-2, while Thompson claimed a pair of 6-1 victories in her first match of the day, followed by a 6-3, 6-4 victory in her second of the day. Smith dominated match one, 6-0, 6-0, before winning 6-4, 6-3 in the next round. Poquette, following a 6-2, 6-3 victory in round one, went on to win 6-2, 4-6, 10-8 to earn her spot in the Saturday semifinals.

In doubles play, Thompson and partner Rika Cross (Fy., Hemet, Calif.) defeated St. Olaf 8-6 and UW-Whitewater 8-4 to advance in the draw. Ruhl and Sidney Wright (So., Edmonds, Wash.) claimed a quick 8-0 win in their first match, followed by an 8-6 victory to advance to the semifinals. The Gusties' final team that advanced to Saturday's semis was Annie Klemmensen (So., Edina) and Poquette, who won their first match 8-3. The two had an interesting opponent in their second of the day, competing against teammate Madison Packer (Jr., Wadena) and St. Olaf's Evelyn Smiley, picking up an 8-5 win. Packer subbed in with Smiley against her teammates to get one more doubles draw in for the night. 

The Gusties continue competition in three different brackets. ITA singles play will resume at 9 a.m. at the 12 outdoor courts at Gustavus. Midwest Invite draws will begin at 9 a.m. between the six indoor courts at the Swanson Tennis Center and courts at Saint Peter High School. Consolation matches will be played at Gustavus, both indoors and outdoors, starting at 10:15 a.m. ITA doubles are expected to begin around 2:30 at the Wilkinson Tennis Complex.