CARY, N.C. — In her first competition as a member of the LSU women’s tennis team, freshman Becca Weissmann won both her first singles and doubles matches in the James Bonk Invite at Cary Tennis Park Friday.
Recruited as the 13th-ranked player in the country and the No.1 player in the state of Colorado, Weissmann delivered with a solid performance in her first collegiate invite, defeating Duke’s Rebecca Smaller in singles competition and joining with Skylar Holloway to defeat the 39th-ranked pairing of Ellyse Hamlin and Meible Chi of Duke.
Weissmann and Holloway won their first doubles match against Hamlin and Chi 8-4, before falling 8-6 to Florida’s Kourtney Keegan and Peggy Porter in the semifinal round.
LSU’s other doubles team of Ryann Foster and Abby Owens went 0-for-2 in two tight matches, falling 8-4 to Florida’s No. 37-ranked duo of Anna Danilina and Spencer Liang and then dropping a very close second match 8-7 to Virginia’s Camille Favero and Hunter Bleser.
In the opening round of singles competitions, Weissmann defeated Smaller 6-4, 6-1 in impressive fashion, earning the praise of co-head coach Julia Sell.
“It was exciting to see our freshman get her first wins as a Tiger in doubles and singles,” said Sell. “She played very disciplined and focused today and will have another good match tomorrow.”
Senior Abby Owens, ranked No. 107 in the country, fell to No. 40 Chalena Scholl of Duke and junior Ryann Foster fell to North Carolina’s No. 31-ranked Jessie Aney.
Skylar Holloway won her first set 6-4 against North Carolina’s Chloe Ouellet-Pizer before dropping the next two sets.
“Overall I was very happy to see everyone compete with such a positive intensity,” said Sell. “We need to clean up a few errors and execute better but that will come with more match play.”
Weissmann and Holloway will take on NC State’s duo of Alejandra Cisneros and Anna Rogers in the doubles third-place match Saturday, while Foster and Owens will face Furman’s Ansley Speaks and Katarina Weymouth in the third-place consolation match.
On Saturday’s second round of singles competitions, Weissmann will face off against Florida’s No. 37-ranked Kourtney Keegan in her group’s semifinal match. Owens will face UNC’s Makenna Jones, Holloway will face Furman’s Katarina Weymouth and Foster will face Duke’s Alyssa Smith in their respective groups’ consolation semifinal matches.
For more information on the LSU women’s tennis program follow the Lady Tigers on Twitter @lsuwten and @LSUJuliaSell, on Instagram @LSUWTen and on www.Facebook.com/lsuwten.
James Bonk Invite Results (Day 1)
Doubles
1. Becca Weissmann/Skylar Holloway (LSU) def. #39 Ellyse Hamlin/Meible Chi (Duke) 8-4
2. Kourtney Keegan/Peggy Porter (UF) def. Becca Weissmann/Skylar Holloway 8-6
3. #37 Anna Danilina/Spencer Liang (UF) def. Ryann Foster/Abby Owens (LSU) 8-4
4. Camille Favero/Hunter Bleser (UVA) def. Ryann Foster/Abby Owens (LSU) 8-7
Singles
1. Becca Weissmann (LSU) def. Rebecca Smaller (Duke) 6-4, 6-1
2. #40 Chalena Scholl (Duke) def. #107 Abby Owens (LSU) 6-3, 6-4
3. #31 Jessie Aney (UNC) def. Ryann Foster (LSU) 6-4, 6-2
4. Chloe Ouellet-Pizer (UNC) def. Skylar Holloway (LSU) 4-6, 6-1, 6-3