September 10, 2007

Tennis Begins Season in Wichita

Lopers Have Impressive Start

       Kearney, Neb. –  The Nebraska-Kearney tennis team began it's 2007-08 season this past weekend with the 4^th Annual Wichita Intercollegiate Tournament in Kansas.

      The event included a singles and doubles bracket. The brackets were then divided into various flights.

      On the men's side, Andres Espinosa (Bogota, Colombia) and Stefan Voight (Red Wing, Minn.) won the doubles No. 3 flight with Tony Perez (Omaha Central) and Noriaki Naruse (Miki Town, Japan) falling in the semifinals of the fourth flight.

      In singles, sophomore Drew Mercier (Omaha Westside) and senior Miguel Acosta (Bogota, Colombia) each won the back draws of their flights with junior Aaron Angst (Salina, Kans.) falling in the semifinals of the fifth flight.

      The other four Lopers playing singles advanced to the quarter of their flights, including top player William Jacome (Miami, Fla.).

      The women saw veterans McKenna Irwin (Bellevue) and Claire Bryan (Katy, Texas) advance to the semifinals of the doubles second flight with Jenna Eichman (Hastings) and Amanda Longley (Lexington) making the semis of the third flight.

      Irwin (fourth flight) and Eichman (fifth flight) then advanced to the semifinals in the singles bracket.

      The Loper women play next Sept. 21-23 at the ITA Regional in Maryville, Mo., with the men playing their ITA event in Topeka Sept. 28-30.