Slippery Rock University Women's Tennis Team Shines at ITA Atlantic Region Championships

The Slippery Rock University women's tennis team continued its impressive performance at the 2024 ITA Atlantic Region Championships, held at the Burt Reese Tennis Center in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. The team's success was highlighted by a doubles team reaching the semifinals, as well as three individual athletes advancing to the quarterfinals of the singles championship bracket.

Dominating Doubles and Singles Performances Propel Slippery Rock to New Heights

Doubles Duo Secures Semifinal Berth

The Slippery Rock doubles team of Alissia Kivi and Nicole Kempton continued their impressive run, securing a spot in the semifinals with their third consecutive victory and eighth win in their last nine matches. The duo defeated the third and sixth-seeded teams, Lieselotte Hartlöhner and Annemiek Sterk of Indiana (Pa.), in a hard-fought 6-4 match. Unfortunately, Slippery Rock's second doubles team of Tina Slovak and Dari Sakhanova fell to the second-seeded duo of Filippa Larsson and Sofia Krasikova from Charleston, 6-3. Kempton and Kivi will now face off against Larsson and Krasikova in the semifinals, with a spot in the Atlantic Region Championship match on the line.

Seeded Singles Players Dominate the Competition

Slippery Rock's seeded singles entries continued to impress in the Round of 32. The top-seeded Amaia Balaguer Brau cruised past Lauren Ceballos of Frostburg State, 6-1, 6-1. The eighth-seeded Kempton defeated Bloomsburg's Nicole Ilkovic, 6-3, 6-1, while the tenth-seeded Kivi downed Dasha Nakonechna of Bloomsburg, 6-1, 6-1. The fourteenth-seeded Sakhanova also secured a victory, defeating Cal's Teddi Isherwood, 6-2, 6-4. The only Rock competitor to have their tournament run end in the second round was Georgie Lancaster, who fell to the second-seeded Krasikova, 6-1, 6-0.

Quarterfinal Showdown: Slippery Rock Teammates Face Off

The day ended with more Rock wins, as Balaguer Brau, Sakhanova, and Kivi all advanced to the Round of 16. In a thrilling match, Kivi battled back after losing the opening set to Larsson, 7-5, and evened the match with a 6-2 decision, followed by a clinching 15-13 triumph to move on to the quarterfinals against IUP's Dani Ramos. Balaguer Brau picked up a 6-2, 6-2 win against UC's Riva Hondiashvilli, while Sakhanova bested Galia Mezouar (Salem) to set up an all-Rock quarterfinal match against her teammate, Balaguer Brau. Sakhanova holds a 6-1 record, and Balaguer Brau is 5-1 heading into the highly anticipated matchup.

Kempton's Valiant Effort Falls Short in Round of 16

Kempton performed well in her Round of 16 match against Charleston's Sara Martinez, but ultimately came up just short in a 3-6, 6-2, 10-4 loss. Despite the defeat, Kempton's strong showing throughout the tournament has been a testament to the depth and talent of the Slippery Rock women's tennis team.The third and final day of the 2024 ITA Atlantic Region Championships is set to commence on Sunday at 10 a.m., with the doubles semifinal round followed by the singles quarterfinals and semifinals. Slippery Rock's athletes will look to continue their impressive run and secure a spot in the championship matches.