Saints Impress on Day One of ITA Championship

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Tara Freeman
Hillary Drewry '12 won two singles and two doubles matches on Saturday at ITA's.

Sept. 24: The St. Lawrence University women's tennis team had a solid first day of competition at the 2011 USTA/ITA Northeast Regional Championship, hosted by William Smith College in Geneva, NY.  Senior Hillary Drewry and first-year student Elkie Vandenbeemt both won two singles matches and remain in contention, while the duo teamed up and have advanced to the doubles quarterfinals.

Drewry worked her way past Rochester's Danielle Shreck in the first round in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, while Vandenbeemt swept Cortland State's Gabby Medina 6-4, 6-2.  The third St. Lawrence singles representative was first-year student Olivia Arroyo, who also got through round one by rallying past Hunter's Flavia Guidi, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4.

Vandenbeemt played brilliantly in her second round singles bout with Hunter's Jane Selegean, advancing to round three with a 6-1, 6-1 victory.  Drewry needed a third set to knock off Kiara Ocasio from William Smith and clinch a spot in the third round (6-3, 4-6, 6-2), but Arroyo's run ended with a tough 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 loss to Mount St. Mary's Gabriela Murphy-Goldberg.

Both St. Lawrence doubles teams are in the hunt heading into day two, as Drewry and Vandenbeemt won twice to earn a spot in the quarters.  The Saints' top doubles team knocked off Stevens' Nicole Portner and Danielle Stewart, 8-3.  They punched their ticket to round three with an 8-1 triumph over Robyn Baird and Melissa Hirsch of Skidmore College.

Meanwhile, St. Lawrence's No. 2 doubles pairing of junior Shannon Murphy and rookie Anna Young won a tight 9-7 match against Murphy-Goldberg and her partner, Annmarie Llewellyn.  However, play was called for the day before they could begin their second round match.

The ITA Regional Championship will resume on Sunday morning.  Drewry will face Maite Vera of RIT in the third round of singles, while Vandenbeemt takes on Baird from Skidmore.  They will then take on Paige Aiello and Deborah Wu of the College of New Jersey in doubles play, while Murphy and Young face Tory Engros and Molly Nolan from Skidmore in the second round.