The ASU women’s tennis team opened its season with a successful weekend as senior Kelcy McKenna won the ITA Gold singles championship title at the Cal Nike Invitational in Berkeley, Calif.
McKenna defeated California’s Annie Goransson in the final round to win the title. She dropped the first set 1-6 but came back and won her final two sets 6-4 and 6-1.
“She played really well,” ASU coach Sheila McInerney said. “Kelcy lost the first set in the finals because she was tired, but she got her second wind and played great.”
McKenna was on the court for close to eight hours on Sunday.
“I had no idea what the outcome would be,” McKenna said. “The first set went so fast. I hoped that I would at least be able to give her a good match.”
McKenna also finished second overall in the ITA Gold doubles with partner senior Micaela Hein.
McKenna and Hein made it to the final round on Sunday after beating the Sacramento State duo of sophomore Rebeca Delgado and junior Tatsiana Kapshai 8-2. The ASU pair fell in the final 8-5 to the No. 1 team, Cal junior Jana Juricova and senior Mari Anderson.
“They made a lot of unforced errors, which is really too bad,” McInerney said.
ASU sophomore Michelle Brycki and junior Sianna Simmons also fell to Juricova and Andersson in the semi-finals on Saturday. They were defeated 8-4.
Every Sun Devil had the opportunity to play three singles and three doubles matches over the weekend. On Friday, the first day of competition, the Sun Devils played doubles matches, and all three doubles teams won their matches.
“Overall, it was a lot of tennis,” McInerney said. “It’s getting back into the swing of things, playing a lot of tennis.”
In Friday’s singles matches, McKenna beat Long Beach State sophomore Jaklin Alawi in the round of 16, 6-2, 6-3. Brycki also fared well in her singles matches, topping St. Mary’s sophomore Catherine Isip in all three sets.
“Michelle had a very good tournament,” McInerney said. “She beat the No. 2 kid from St. Mary’s.” McKenna beat Brycki in singles play on Saturday.
“Kelcy was definitely my toughest competition,” Brycki said. “I’m happy it was an ASU player that beat me.”
Hein lost to LBSU sophomore Klaudia Malenovska in round 32 in singles play but won her consolation match against Minnesota sophomore Alexa Palen.
Saturday was an elimination day for several Sun Devils.
“We always can do better, but its one of those things where we accomplished what we wanted to,” McInerney said. “Everybody looked pretty competitive.”
ASU senior Ashlee Brown and sophomore Hannah James won their doubles quarterfinals match over LBSU sophomore duo Julie Luzar and Sarah Cantlay but were defeated in the semifinals, falling 8-6 to SSU juniors Clarisse Baca and Maria Meliuk.
Reach the reporter at nklauss@asu.edu
