NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. - Both of the Asbury tennis teams took to the court twice this weekend to get their spring season underway while taking on NAIA Mid-South Conference opponents Georgetown College and Bethel University TN at Top Seed Tennis Club. Both teams came out victorious against both of their NAIA foes giving the tennis programs an impressive start to their season.
The women started the weekend off with a 5-2 defeat of Georgetown College, a team that is currently receiving votes in the NAIA national poll and ranked 27th going into the weekend in the NAIA. Giovana Kelm, Grace Gorby and Isabella Gutierrez all came out with wins in both singles and doubles to lead the Eagles to what is believed to be their first ever women's tennis win over Georgetown College. Two of the matches remained unfinished with the Eagles leading at number 5 singles, but down by one set at number 6 singles.
The men took a 5-3 victory over the Georgetown Tigers through some close match heroics. Doubles started off shaky as all three doubles teams initially found themselves down to the Tigers. The number 3 tandem of Sparks and Penuela were the first to mount their comeback eventually winning 8-5. The duo of Lewis and Hartkopf were initially down 4-1 out of the gate, but came back to take a tiebreak set 8-7 to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead heading into singles. With the first five singles matches started, the Eagles saw themselves lose the first set in four of those matches with the only straight set winner being freshman Alejandro Caceres. Team number 1 Greg Ingles and freshman Joseph Lewis both fought back from a set down to seal the victory for the Eagles. Tanner Sparks was also leading by winning his first set easily 6-1 when the match was suspended.
The women of Asbury had an overall much easier second match of the weekend, but with one tricky match to get things started. The top doubles team of Kelm and Gorby played an up and down doubles match that eventually saw them win a tight 8-7 tiebreak match after nearly two hours of doubles play to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead heading into singles. The Eagles saw strong singles play at all six spots to secure a sweeping 9-0 victory over the women of Bethel, TN and give themselves a 2-0 start to the 2022 season.
The men also faced Bethel University TN on the weekend and came out with a 7-2 victory. The Eagles found their rhythm much easier in doubles this time as they swept through doubles without any major complications. Ingles and Lewis did not need the same heroics this time as they lost only a combined 4 total games in their 4 sets won at number 1 and 2 singles. Duarte Teixeira also got his first win of the season in singles against his big serving opponent and Felipe Penuela wrapped up the singles competition with a solid straight sets win at the sixth singles spot.
The Eagles return to action this weekend when they host Berea on Friday, February 18 at 5:30 pm at Top Seed Tennis Club and then play Ohio Northern at 12:00 pm at Top Seed Tennis Club on Saturday, February 19, 2022. Wednesday's womens match with Centre College will be rescheduled due to COVID protocols involving the Centre women's team.
Asbury defeated Georgetown Women 5-2
D1: Kelm/Gorcy (AU) def Hill/Gill (GC) 8-1
D2: Gutierrez/Lerma (AU) def Forero/Mia Ferguson (GC) 8-5
D3: Montori/Prince (GC) def Iriarte/Kawata (AU) 8-3
S1: Giovana Kelm (AU) def Michela Montori (GC) 6-2, 6-1
S2: Grace Gorby (AU) def Ana Forero (GC) 6-3, 6-2
S3: Samantha Spady (GC) def Luciana Iriarte (AU) 6-3, 6-1
S4: Isabella Gutierrez (AU) def Mia Ferguson (GC) 0-6, 6-2, 6-3
S5: Alexandra Lerma (AU) led Emma Hill (GC) 3-6, 6-4, 4-2 Unfinished
S6: Madie Gill (GC) led Kourtney Kawata (AU) 6-4 Unfinished
Asbury defeated Georgetown Men – 5-3
D1: Clarke/Wilson (GC) def Ingles/Teixeira (AU) 8-4
D2: Lewis/Hartkopf (AU) def White/Hirose (GC) 8-7(2)
D3: Sparks/Penuela (AU) def Smallwood/Taylor (GC) 8-5
S1: Greg Ingles (AU) def Cole Wilson (GC) 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(5)
S2: Zach White (GC) def Rodrigo Cavero (AU) 7-5 6-4
S3: Joseph Lewis (AU) def Parker Clarke (GC) 6-7, 6-4, 6-2
S4: Alejandro Caceres (AU) def Logan Smallwood (GC) 6-4, 6-3
S5: Tsugu Hiros (GC) def Duarte Teixeira (AU) 6-3, 6-4
S6: Tanner Sparks (AU) led Matt Smith (GC) 6-1 Unfinished
Asbury def Bethel TN Women 9-0
D1: Kelm/Gorby (AU) def Zotelli/Vasconcellos (BU) 8-7(5)
D2: Lerma/Gutierrez (AU) def Baralt/Stone (BU) 8-1
D3: Iriarte/Kawata(AU) def Seiber/Crossno (BU) 8-0
S1: Giovana Kelm (AU) def Marina Zotelli (BU) 6-3, 6-3
S2: Grace Gorby (AU) def Anabella Baralt Sanchez (BU) 6-2, 6-2
S3: Luciana Iriarte (AU) def Sophia Vasconcellos (BU) 6-4, 6-1
S4: Isabella Gutierrez (AU) def Samantha Stone (BU) 6-1, 6-0
S5: Alexandra Lerma (AU) def Kelsie Seiber (BU) 6-0, 6-0
S6: Kourtney Kawata (AU) def Kensley Crossno (BU) 5-7, 6-1, 1-0(4)
Asbury def Bethel TB Men – 7-2
D1: Ingles/Cavero (AU) def Hernandez/Andre (BU) 8-4
D2: Sparks/Penuela (AU) def Vecchi/Bonato (BU) 8-3
D3: Caceres/Hartkopf (AU) def Gravina/Neves (BU) 8-4
S1: Greg Ingles (AU) def Juan Hernandez (BU) 6-0, 6-2
S2: Joseph Lewis (AU) def Marcos Neves (BU) 6-1, 6-1
S3: Pedro Vecchi (BU) def Alejandro Caceres (AU) 6-3, 3-6, 1-0(4)
S4: Duarte Texeira (AU) def Renato Gravina (BU) 6-4, 6-2
S5: Joao Andre (BU) def Tanner Sparks (AU) 0-6, 6-1, 1-0(6)
S6: Felipe Penuela (AU) def Pedro Bonato (BU) 6-4, 6-3
