Photo by: Jonathan Kelley
Freshman Walker scores impressive win in collegiate debut
9/14/2013 12:33:00 AM | Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis
MIDLAND, Texas - The first collegiate match for Abilene Christian freshman Erin Walker was certainly a memorable one as the Key City native rallied from a set down to upset ninth-seeded and 114th-ranked Viktoryia Kisialeva of Baylor, 3-6, 6-4, (1-0) Friday afternoon during their second-round match at the Midland Racquet Club Collegiate Invitational.
A redshirt sophomore, Kisialeva was the Bears' No. 2 singles player for a team that finished 20th in the national rankings last spring. Walker, meanwhile, just arrived at ACU this summer as a two-time state tournament and three-time regional championship qualifier. She is also the youngest daughter of Wildcat assistant coach John Walker and sister to former Wildcat all-America Jaclyn Walker.
Walker entered her match vs. Kisialeva feeling rested after her first-round opponent - Kseniya Bardabush of North Texas -withdrew due to injury. As a result she was only one of three of 64 players to receive a first-round bye along with the tournament's top two seeds: Samantha Vickers of Tulsa and Natalie Beazant of Rice.
Kisialeva cruised past Paulina Los of Kansas, 6-2, 6-1, in their first-round match, but moments later she became the second-highest seeded player to be upset after No. 6 seed Simona Parajova of TCU was eliminated by Pepperdine's Yuki Chiang, 6-2, 0-6, (1-0).
Walker's victory advanced her into the third round, where she'll face fifth-seeded Dominique Harmath of Rice - the 49th ranked singles player according to the ITA's preseason poll.
Unfortunately, Walker is the sole Wildcat still active in the main singles draw as all three of her teammates were ousted in the first round by opponents from Penn State, Rice and Nebraska. Both senior Micah Hermsdorf and sophomore Kaysie Hermsdorf rebounded to win their opening consolation bracket matches and will play again Saturday when competition resumes at 9 a.m. Micah defeated Pepperdine's Danielle Feneridis 6-0, 2-6, 1-0, while her younger sister came close to shutting out Texas State's Berneice Vandon Berg, 6-0, 6-1.
In doubles, Micah Hermsdorf and new partner, junior Brittney Reed, edged the Kansas duo of Claire Dreyer and Nastya Trubich, 9-7, and will move on to face the nationally 10th ranked and top seeded Rice tandem of Harmath and Beazant.
Walker and Kaysie Hermsdorf were eliminated by a second Owl team of Kim Anicete and Alison Ho, 8-3.
ACU's men's team picked up several early-round victories, but now are left to compete solely in the consolation bracket. The Wildcats began their day with two big wins from freshman Nico Agritelley and junior Guilherme Gesser as the rookie from Dallas battled his way past Tanner Berkabile of New Mexico, 6-2, 7-5 and Gesser followed with a solid victory over Tulsa's Chase Gordan, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3.
In the second round, however, both Wildcats were upended in straight sets. Agritelley dropped a 6-3, 7-5 decision to Rodolfo Bustamante of TCU, while Carlos Arbiza got the best of Gesser 6-2, 6-3. They would go on to lose their second-round doubles matches as well with partners Jason Proctor and Borja Cortes, respecitvely.
Cortes won his first consolation match, 6-2, 6-1, after being knocked out of the main draw by Texas' fifth-seed Adrien Berkowicz, 6-1, 2-6, 6-3. Sophomore Nicklas Wingord also will play again tomorrow after beating Texas Tech's Evan Nix, 7-6, 6-3, (1-0).
Results from New Mexico State's Aggie Invitational, where Wildcats Nada Marjanovic, Ansley Boarman and Emily Conrad are allcompeting this weekend, were not available as of midnight Saturday. The start of their tournament was delayed several hours by rain.
#
Midland Racquet Club Collegiate
Friday / Midland, Texas
WOMEN'S SINGLES
Main Draw
First Round
Erin Walker (ACU) def. Kseniya Bardabush (UNT) - Injury
Jacqueline Zuhse (PSU) def. Micah Hermsdorf (ACU), 7-5, 6-1
Kim Anicete (Rice) def. Kaysie Hermsdorf (ACU), 7-6, 6-2
Maggy Lehmicke (NEB) def. Brittney Reed (ACU), 6-3, 6-0
Second Round
Walker (ACU) def. #9 Viktoryia Kisialeva (BU), 3-6, 6-4, 1-0
Consolation Draw
First Round
Micah Hermsdorf (ACU) def. Danielle Feneridis (PEP), 6-0, 2-6, 1-0
Kaysie Hermsdorf (ACU) def. Berneice Vandon Berg (TSU), 6-0, 6-1
Samantha Tutelman (PSU) def. Brittney Reed (ACU), 6-0, 6-0
WOMEN'S DOUBLES
First Round
Micah Hermsdorf/Brittney Reed (ACU) def. Dreyer/Trubich (KU), 9-7
Anicete/Ho (Rice) def. Erin Walker/Kaysie Hermsdorf (ACU), 8-3
MEN'S SINGLES
Main Draw
First Round
Ilija Cuie (WSU) def. Jason Proctor (ACU), 6-4, 7-6
Daniel Echeverry (UTA) def. Nicklas Wingord (ACU), 6-3, 6-4
Borja Cortes - Bye
Nico Agritelley (ACU) def. Tanner Berkabile (UNM), 6-2, 7-5
Guilherme Gesser (ACU) def. Chase Gordan (TULSA), 6-1, 1-6, 6-3
Second Round
#5 Adrien Berkowicz (UT) def. Borja Cortes (ACU), 6-1, 2-6, 6-3
Rodolfo Bustamante (TCU) def. Nico Agritelley, 6-3, 7-5
Carlos Arbiza (UTA) def. Guilherme Gesser (ACU), 6-2, 6-3
Consolation Draw
First Round
Borja Cortes (ACU) def. ... , 6-2, 6-1
... def. Jason Proctor (ACU), 3-6, 6-3, 1-0
Nicklas Wingord (ACU) def. Evan Nix (TTU), 7-6, 6-3, 1-0
MEN'S DOUBLES
First Round
Jason Proctor/Nico Agritelley (ACU) def. Melott/Nix (TTU), 8-3
Second Round
Cuic/Ostojic (WSU) def. Borja Cortes/Guilherme Gesser (ACU), 8-3
Stein/Bustamante (TCU) def. Jason Proctor/Nico Agritelley (ACU), 9-8
A redshirt sophomore, Kisialeva was the Bears' No. 2 singles player for a team that finished 20th in the national rankings last spring. Walker, meanwhile, just arrived at ACU this summer as a two-time state tournament and three-time regional championship qualifier. She is also the youngest daughter of Wildcat assistant coach John Walker and sister to former Wildcat all-America Jaclyn Walker.
Walker entered her match vs. Kisialeva feeling rested after her first-round opponent - Kseniya Bardabush of North Texas -withdrew due to injury. As a result she was only one of three of 64 players to receive a first-round bye along with the tournament's top two seeds: Samantha Vickers of Tulsa and Natalie Beazant of Rice.
Kisialeva cruised past Paulina Los of Kansas, 6-2, 6-1, in their first-round match, but moments later she became the second-highest seeded player to be upset after No. 6 seed Simona Parajova of TCU was eliminated by Pepperdine's Yuki Chiang, 6-2, 0-6, (1-0).
Walker's victory advanced her into the third round, where she'll face fifth-seeded Dominique Harmath of Rice - the 49th ranked singles player according to the ITA's preseason poll.
Unfortunately, Walker is the sole Wildcat still active in the main singles draw as all three of her teammates were ousted in the first round by opponents from Penn State, Rice and Nebraska. Both senior Micah Hermsdorf and sophomore Kaysie Hermsdorf rebounded to win their opening consolation bracket matches and will play again Saturday when competition resumes at 9 a.m. Micah defeated Pepperdine's Danielle Feneridis 6-0, 2-6, 1-0, while her younger sister came close to shutting out Texas State's Berneice Vandon Berg, 6-0, 6-1.
In doubles, Micah Hermsdorf and new partner, junior Brittney Reed, edged the Kansas duo of Claire Dreyer and Nastya Trubich, 9-7, and will move on to face the nationally 10th ranked and top seeded Rice tandem of Harmath and Beazant.
Walker and Kaysie Hermsdorf were eliminated by a second Owl team of Kim Anicete and Alison Ho, 8-3.
ACU's men's team picked up several early-round victories, but now are left to compete solely in the consolation bracket. The Wildcats began their day with two big wins from freshman Nico Agritelley and junior Guilherme Gesser as the rookie from Dallas battled his way past Tanner Berkabile of New Mexico, 6-2, 7-5 and Gesser followed with a solid victory over Tulsa's Chase Gordan, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3.
In the second round, however, both Wildcats were upended in straight sets. Agritelley dropped a 6-3, 7-5 decision to Rodolfo Bustamante of TCU, while Carlos Arbiza got the best of Gesser 6-2, 6-3. They would go on to lose their second-round doubles matches as well with partners Jason Proctor and Borja Cortes, respecitvely.
Cortes won his first consolation match, 6-2, 6-1, after being knocked out of the main draw by Texas' fifth-seed Adrien Berkowicz, 6-1, 2-6, 6-3. Sophomore Nicklas Wingord also will play again tomorrow after beating Texas Tech's Evan Nix, 7-6, 6-3, (1-0).
Results from New Mexico State's Aggie Invitational, where Wildcats Nada Marjanovic, Ansley Boarman and Emily Conrad are allcompeting this weekend, were not available as of midnight Saturday. The start of their tournament was delayed several hours by rain.
#
Midland Racquet Club Collegiate
Friday / Midland, Texas
WOMEN'S SINGLES
Main Draw
First Round
Erin Walker (ACU) def. Kseniya Bardabush (UNT) - Injury
Jacqueline Zuhse (PSU) def. Micah Hermsdorf (ACU), 7-5, 6-1
Kim Anicete (Rice) def. Kaysie Hermsdorf (ACU), 7-6, 6-2
Maggy Lehmicke (NEB) def. Brittney Reed (ACU), 6-3, 6-0
Second Round
Walker (ACU) def. #9 Viktoryia Kisialeva (BU), 3-6, 6-4, 1-0
Consolation Draw
First Round
Micah Hermsdorf (ACU) def. Danielle Feneridis (PEP), 6-0, 2-6, 1-0
Kaysie Hermsdorf (ACU) def. Berneice Vandon Berg (TSU), 6-0, 6-1
Samantha Tutelman (PSU) def. Brittney Reed (ACU), 6-0, 6-0
WOMEN'S DOUBLES
First Round
Micah Hermsdorf/Brittney Reed (ACU) def. Dreyer/Trubich (KU), 9-7
Anicete/Ho (Rice) def. Erin Walker/Kaysie Hermsdorf (ACU), 8-3
MEN'S SINGLES
Main Draw
First Round
Ilija Cuie (WSU) def. Jason Proctor (ACU), 6-4, 7-6
Daniel Echeverry (UTA) def. Nicklas Wingord (ACU), 6-3, 6-4
Borja Cortes - Bye
Nico Agritelley (ACU) def. Tanner Berkabile (UNM), 6-2, 7-5
Guilherme Gesser (ACU) def. Chase Gordan (TULSA), 6-1, 1-6, 6-3
Second Round
#5 Adrien Berkowicz (UT) def. Borja Cortes (ACU), 6-1, 2-6, 6-3
Rodolfo Bustamante (TCU) def. Nico Agritelley, 6-3, 7-5
Carlos Arbiza (UTA) def. Guilherme Gesser (ACU), 6-2, 6-3
Consolation Draw
First Round
Borja Cortes (ACU) def. ... , 6-2, 6-1
... def. Jason Proctor (ACU), 3-6, 6-3, 1-0
Nicklas Wingord (ACU) def. Evan Nix (TTU), 7-6, 6-3, 1-0
MEN'S DOUBLES
First Round
Jason Proctor/Nico Agritelley (ACU) def. Melott/Nix (TTU), 8-3
Second Round
Cuic/Ostojic (WSU) def. Borja Cortes/Guilherme Gesser (ACU), 8-3
Stein/Bustamante (TCU) def. Jason Proctor/Nico Agritelley (ACU), 9-8
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