Women's Tennis | 9/28/2019 2:36:00 PM
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (Sept. 28, 2019) - Representing the Queens College women's tennis team this weekend at the Hofstra Invitational,
Mana Koitabashi claimed the singles crown in the 'C' bracket draw to highlight the Knights' performances on Friday (Sept. 27) and Saturday (Sept. 28). Koitabashi's finals appearance was one of four championship spots earned by Queens in the invitational tournament which featured several Division I schools from the New York region and the Division II Knights.
Koitabashi got to the finals by defeating two Hofstra players in the opening two rounds; she posted a 7-5, 6-1 win against Brooklyn Samuels in the first round and then took care of Alabina Zaganjor in the semi-finals via a 6-4, 6-4 decision. The native of Japan would square off with the Pride's Mandisa Walle in the finals after the latter earned a walk-over bye---after QC's
Lovisa Engstrand won a three-set first-round match but could not compete in the semis---to get to the championship match-up. Koitabashi proved her toughness with a 6-4, 6-4 win to earn the championship at the ITA-sanctioned event.
In the 'A' singles draw,
Luisa Auffarth continued her stellar season with an appearance in the championship against Long Island University's Sofiya Kuzina. To get there, Auffarth won a 6-2, 6-1 decision against Wagner's Vedika Anand and survived back-to-back gritty three-set battles first against Hofstra's Alejandra Ruffini (6-1, 4-6, 11-9) and then a semifinal showdown (6-1, 1-6, 10-5) with Hofstra's Katherine Kachkarov. Auffarth was unable to pick up the championship victory, however, losing a 6-0, 6-2 match to Kuzina.
Maja Makal and
Louisa Brunetti both won their first-round matches but lost in the quarter-finals of the 'A' draw.
In the 'B' draw,
Marisa Ostoja went on a solid run following a three-set first-round loss to LIU's Bianca Compuesto. Ostoja would advance to the back-draw/consolation final after beating Hofstra's Odessa Stork (8-6) and QC teammate
Aleksandra Caricic (8-5) to make the final against the Pride's Jasmine King. King would end up winning an 8-5 over Ostoja to claim the championship.
Gabriela Sciarotta won her first singles match over King (0-6, 6-4, 10-6) but lost in the quarterfinals to Siena's Juliana Goehner.
In doubles competition, the Knights had a tandem make the 'B' draw championship and two semi-final competitors. Koitabashi and
Ruth Artaza Martin faced Sciarotta and
Araceli Bel Aleixendri in the semi-finals with the latter team claiming a 6-4 win; Bel Alexiendri and Sciarotta were defeated by LIU's Victoria Erechtenko and Veronika Koudelova by a 6-1 decision.
