CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Fordham women’s tennis team was back in action this past weekend as the Rams competed in the 2013 Eastern Championship from Sept. 27 to Sept. 29 at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.

The highlight of the invitational for the Rams came on Sunday, when the junior duo of Anika Novacek and Bella Genkina captured the “B” doubles tournament with an 8-6 win over Stony Brook’s Becky Shtilkind and Cassandra Dix.

In their journey to the finals, the pair defeated teams from Albany and Army both by a score of 8-3. In the semifinal match, Novacek and Genkina rallied to beat Illinois’ Julia Jamieson and Emily Barretta 8-5, earning them a spot in the finals, where they were ultimately victorious.

Also in the B doubles tournament, freshman Destiny Grunin teamed up with Army’s Kelly Daniel, where they fell to Sacred Heart 8-7 (4). In the back draw, the pair dropped their match to Quinnipiac’s Ariana Launie and Daniella Reyes in a close score of 8-7 (5).

In other doubles action, juniors Elliesa Ball and Sarah Ali played in A doubles, where they fell to Seton Hall’s Roccio Portela-Berrio and Chloe Sher by a score of 8-7 (3).

Also, the junior-senior combination of Julie Leong and Angelika Dabu won its first match in C doubles, defeating Seton Hall’s Hannah Liljkevist and Madison Shoemaker 8-7 (4), but fell 8-4 to Stony Brook’s Louise Badoche and Nadie Smergut in the round of 16.

On the singles court, Ball bounced back from her 6-3, 6-2 first round loss to LIU’s Sanne Louwers to win the back draw of the first singles tournament. After her initial loss, Ball moved into the back draw, where she beat Sacred Heart’s Katie DeReinzo 8-5, Stony Brook’s Jackie Altan Sarni 8-4 and Connecticut’s Srna Stosljevic 8-6 in the finals.

“Ball winning the A back draw after taking a first round loss showed what a great competitor she is,” Coach Bette-Ann Liguori said.

In second singles, Novacek bettered Marielle Campbell from Marist with a 6-4, 6-4 win before losing to Julia Jamison of Illinois in the round of 16, 7-6 (4), 6-2.

Dabu played in the second singles as well, but dropped her first round match to Bryant’s Ryan Brown 7-5, 5-7, 10-3.

Both Leong and Grunin competed in the third singles tournament, with Leong falling to UConn’s Shea Flanagan in the round of 16, 6-4, 6-3, while Grunin handily defeated Sacred Heart’s Mariah Wardus 6-1, 6-0 in the round of 32.

In the back draw, Leong fell to Albany’s Cat Crummey 8-4, and Grunin dropped her match to Sydney Young from Quinnipiac in three sets, 6-0, 3-6, 10-1.

Genkina got as far as the semifinals in fourth singles. In the opening round, she defeated Albany’s Mirelle Hermans 6-2, 6-2, and then bettered Alexandra Landert from Seton Hall by the same score. In the semifinals, Genkina lost to Lisa Setyon of Stony Brook 6-2, 6-1.

Although the team only placed first in one title at the Eastern Championship, its performance was strong.

“This tournament has such a high level of play that to be in the finals of any of the draws is a great accomplishment,” Liguori said. “All in all, I’m pleased with our showing.”

The Rams will take on Seton Hall next in their second dual match of the year on Oct. 6 at noon on the Hawthorne/Rooney Courts.