DaCosta, Delicata Win Doubles on ITA Summer Circuit
7/27/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Three members of the University of Michigan women's tennis team participated in the first leg of the ITA Midwest Summer Circuit, held July 10-13 at U-M's Varsity Tennis Center. Michelle DaCosta (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne HS) and Kara Delicata (LaSalle, Ontario/Sandwich Secondary) captured the 32-team doubles championship, while Debra Streifler advanced to the quarterfinals of the 64-player singles draw.
DaCosta and Delicata, who finished the 2003-04 season with a 15-10 doubles record and a No. 27 final ITA national ranking, cruised through their competition, starting with an 8-1 win over Stephanie Kebler (Okemos, Mich.) and Ohio State's Sara Kinning after a first-round bye. The U-M tandem kept the momentum with an 8-4 defeat of Illinois' Pavlina Akritas and Macall Harkins in the quarterfinals.
The next obstacle on the path to the final was Georgia Rose (Mattawa, Ill.) and Christian Tara (Lake Bluff, Ill.), who fell 8-3 to the U-M pair in the semifinals. DaCosta and Delicata showed that they were deserving of their No. 1 seeding by slipping by No. 2 seed Kristi Miller of and Alison Silverio of Georgia Tech 9-8 in the final.
Streifler also competed in doubles, teaming with Tennessee's Bryce Marable for two victories. Streifler and Marable defeated Anna and Rachael Lask of Murray State (8-6) and Noriko Saruta of Western Michigan and Dora Vastag of Indiana (8-4) but lost 9-8 to evenutal runners-up Miller and Silverio.
Streifler was the Wolverine who advanced the furthest in singles action, as she reached the quarterfinal round after three straight victories. The No. 5-seeded player in the draw, Streifler opened play with an easy 6-0, 6-1 win over Michigan State's Marta Walasek and followed with a 6-1, 6-4 decision over Marquette's Erin Watkins. Streifler outlasted No. 9 seed Miller 6-4, 2-6, 10-5 to advance to the round of eight, but she could not overtake eventual champion Caitlin Burke of Wisconsin, losing 6-1, 6-2.
Delicata, also a fifth-seeded player in the singles draw, posted a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Valparaiso's Rachel Janssen in the opening round but was eliminated from the tournament with a 6-3, 3-6, 11-9 loss to Kebler.
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
