UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State women’s tennis team concluded competition at the ITA Northeast Regional in Princeton, N.J. on Tuesday, with Maelie Monfils and Patricia Grigoras securing the doubles championship and earning a spot in the NCAA Doubles Championships in Athens, Ga.
Play began on Thursday with singles prequalifying matches. Jordina Cegarra Ramirez, Brianna Baldi, and Susan Souhrada each won both of their matches to advance to the main draw. Ansley Cox fell in the first round of prequalifying in her return to action, while Katerina Dimitrova was eliminated in the second round of prequalifying.
The Nittany Lions continued their success for day two and the start of main draw singles, as Monfils, Grigoras, Baldi, Maria Daciana Ciubotaru, and Charlotte Benedetti Ravon all earned first-round victories, while Cegarra Ramirez and Souhrada were both eliminated.
Monfils made quick work of Columbia’s Michelle Li, 6-2, 6-2, while Grigoras defeated Lehigh’s Maggie Forkner, 6-4, 6-2. Baldi continued her hot streak, earning her third win of the tournament with a 7-6, 6-3 win over Mercyhurst’s Daria Rogova.
In her first action of the season, Ciubotaru bested Temple’s Tesse Antonis in a three-set affair, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. After a strong debut competition at the Martha Thorn Invitational, Benedetti Ravon continued her hot start, defeating Delaware’s Valeria Sanchez, 6-2, 6-4.
The Nittany Lions also found success in the opening round of doubles. Benedetti Ravon paired up with Cegarra Ramirez to take down Duquesne’s Naomi Lalonde and Dasha Chichkina, 8-2, while the duo of Cox and Dimitrova defeated Stony Brook’s Yasmin Vavrova and Sanjana Devineni, 8-4. Souhrada and Ciubotaru teamed up for an 8-1 victory against Hofstra’s Ava Veneziano and Isabella Cardinal.
Baldi partnered with Kate Zink, who competed exclusively in doubles, but the pair fell 8-4 to Temple’s Nina Andreoni and Marianthi Christoforidou.
Monfils and Grigoras opened their championship run with a commanding 8-2 win over Lehigh’s Maggie Forkner and Alina Shyani.
Day three started off with doubles, with Cox and Dimitrova losing 8-7 in a tightly contested match against Lehigh’s Margaux Devaul and Ronit Khromchenko. Cegarra Ramirez and Benedetti Ravon also lost in an 8-7 heartbreaker, falling to Delaware’s Valeria Sanchez and Isabella Kellenberger. Souhrada and Ciubotaru were eliminated in the second round after an 8-3 loss to Rutgers’ Zeynep Ilker and Karina Jumazhanova.
Monfils and Grigoras continued their run with an 8-7 victory over Columbia’s Elena Zhao and Kylie Nguyen.
In singles, Monfils extended her winning streak with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Rutgers’ Savannah Cohen. Grigoras’ singles run ended with a 6-4, 6-3 loss to Princeton’s Tsehay Driscoll, while Baldi’s three-match winning streak came to a close in a competitive 6-3, 7-5 loss to Columbia’s Gayathri Krishnan.
Ciubotaru fell to Rutgers’ Zuzanna Frankowska, 6-1, 6-4, while Benedetti Ravon’s strong start to her collegiate career was halted by Columbia’s Elena Zhao, with Benedetti Ravon losing 6-4, 6-1.
Back-to-back doubles matches started the day on day four, with Monfils and Grigoras first defeating Fordham’s Julianne Nguyen and Valerija Maija Kargina, 8-6, then took down Columbia’s Sabrina Lin and Gayathri Krishnan, 8-5, to advance to the semifinals.
After her back-to-back doubles matches, Monfils faced off against Princeton’s Isabella Chhiv in the round of 16, losing in a three-set battle, 6-4, 6-7, 6-4.
On day five, Monfils and Grigoras faced Chhiv and her Princeton teammate Pearlie Zhang in the doubles semifinals. The Penn State duo prevailed, 7-5, 6-4, to secure a place in the championship match.
On day six, Monfils and Grigoras faced Penn’s Esha Velaga and Athina Schlepphorst. The Nittany Lions prevailed in a dramatic three-set battle, winning 6-2, 6-7, 10-5 to claim the ITA Northeast Regional doubles title and punch their ticket to the NCAA Doubles Championships.
Penn State has won two ITA Northeast Regional Doubles Championships in the past three years and reached the final in each of the last three.
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Thursday prequalifying singles:
Jordina Cegarra Ramirez (PSU) defeats Stella Schmitz (RUT) 6-4,6-4
Katerina Dimitrova (PSU) defeats Karina Jumazhanova (RUT) 6-2, 6-3
Brianna Baldi (PSU) defeats Mila Badics (DUQ) 6-4, 6-4
Isabella Kellenberger (DEL) defeats Ansley Cox (PSU) 7-5, 7-6
Susan Souhrada (PSU) defeats Kylie Nguyen (CLMB) 6-2, 6-2
Jordina Cegarra Ramirez (PSU) defeats Lena Dogadalski (LEH) 7-6, 6-4
Tesse Antonis (TEM) defeats Katerina Dimitrova (PSU) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
Brianna Baldi (PSU) defeats Variance Horn-Bourque (MER) 6-4, 6-3
Susan Souhrada (PSU) defeats Varsha Vedula (PENN) 6-2, 6-1
Ansley Cox (PSU) defeats Julianne Nguyen (FOR) 6-3, 6-3 (con.)
Friday singles:
Margot Phanthala (CLMB) defeats Susan Souhrada (PSU) 6-3, 6-0
Maelie Monfils (PSU) defeats Michelle Li (CLMB) 6-2,6-0
Madeline Jessup (PRIN) defeats Jordina Cegarra Ramirez (PSU) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
Patricia Grigoras (PSU) defeats Maggie Forkner (LEH) 6-4, 6-2
Brianna Baldi (PSU) defeats Daria Rogova (MER) 7-6, 6-3
Maria Daciana Ciubotaru (PSU) defeats Tesse Antonis (TEM) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3
Charlotte Benedetti Ravon (PSU) defeats Valeria Sanchez (DEL) 6-2, 6-4
Friday doubles:
Ansley Cox/Katerina Dimitrova (PSU) defeats Yasmin Vavrova/Sanjana Devineni (SBU), 8-4
Nina Andreoni/Marianthi Christoforidou (TEM) defeats Kate Zink/Brianna Baldi (PSU), 8-4
Jordina Cegarra Ramirez/Charlotte Benedetti Ravon (PSU) defeats Naomi Lalonde/Dasha Chichkina (DUQ), 8-2
Susan Souhrada/Maria Daciana Ciubotaru (PSU) defeats Ava Veneziano/Isabella Cardina (HOF), 8-1
Maelie Monfils/Patricia Grigoras (PSU) defeats Maggie Forkner/Alina Shyani (LEH) 8-2
Saturday singles:
Maelie Monfils (PSU) defeats Savannah Cohen (RUT) 6-0, 6-3
Tsehay Driscoll (PRIN) defeats Patricia Grigoras (PSU) 6-4, 6-3
Gayathri Krishnan (CLMB) defeats Brianna Baldi (PSU) 6-3, 7-5
Zuzanna Frankowska (RUT) defeats Maria Daciana Ciubotaru (PSU) 6-1, 6-4
Elena Zhao (CLMB) defeats Charlotte Benedetti Ravon (PSU) 6-4, 6-1
Ansley Cox (PSU) defeats Anne Moody (VIL) 5-7, 6-3, 10-5 (con.)
Ansley Cox (PSU) defeats Elena Milutinovic (STJ) 6-3, 7-6 (con.)
Maggie Forkner (LEH) defeats Susan Souhrada (PSU) 3-6, 6-3, 13-11 (con.)
Emily Baek (CLMB) defeats Katerina Dimitrova (PSU) 7-5, 6-2 (con.)
Saturday doubles:
Margaux Devaul/Ronit Khromchenko (LEH) defeats Ansley Cox/Katerina Dimitrova (PSU) 8-7
Valeria Sanchez/Isabella Kellenberger (DEL) defeats Jordina Cegarra Ramirez/Charlotte Benedetti Ravon (PSU) 8-7
Karina Jumazhanova/Zeynep Ilker (RUT) defeats Susan Souhrada/Maria Daciana Ciubotaru (PSU) 8-3
Maelie Monfils/Patricia Grigoras (PSU) defeats Kylie Nguyen/Elena Zhao (CLMB) 8-7
Sunday singles:
Isabella Chhiv (PRIN) defeats Maelie Monfils (PSU), 6-4, 6-7, 6-4
Lilian Liu (PRIN) defeats Charlotte Benedetti Ravon (PSU) 6-4, 3-6, 10-4 (con.)
Sunday doubles:
Maelie Monfils/Patricia Grigoras (PSU) defeats Julianne Nguyen/Valerija Maija Kargina (FOR), 8-6
Maelie Monfils/Patricia Grigoras (PSU) defeats Sabrina Lin/Gayathri Krishnan (CLMB) 8-5
Monday doubles:
Maelie Monfils/Patricia Grigoras (PSU) defeats Isabella Chhiv/Pearlie Zhang (PRIN), 7-5, 6-4
Tuesday doubles:
Maelie Monfils/Patricia Grigoras (PSU) defeats Esha Velaga/Athina Schlepphorst (PENN), 6-2, 6-7, 10-5