TCU
Riviera/ITA Women's All-American Championships
WTEN: ITA All-American Recap
10/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
FORT WORTH, Texas - The TCU women's tennis team continued fall competition by taking part in the 2015 Riviera/ITA All-American Championships this past weekend in Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Three different Horned Frogs defeated ranked opponents over the weekend, while newcomers Marie Norris and Caroline Wegner were able to advance to the third round of the pre-qualifying draw in singles.
Wegner, Norris and fellow newcomer Olaya Garrido-Rivas all defeated ranked foes in their opening matches in California. Wegner was able to upend No. 91 Andrea Ka of San Francisco (6-2, 6-3), while Norris defeated No. 106 Abby Owens of LSU, 6-2, 7-5. Garrido-Rivas had to bounce back from a first set loss to No. 123 Jessica Perez of Loyola-Marymount, but ultimately came out on top with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory.
Norris and Wegner continued their hot streak into the second round, as Wegner downed No. 81 Gabriella Castaneda of Florida State (2-6, 6-3, 6-3), while Norris was victorious over Caroline Ryba of Minnesota (4-6, 6-3, 6-1). The duo could not take the momentum into the final round of pre-qualifying, as both lost in straight sets and ended their singles run.
Quotes from the Weekend
Head coach Lee Taylor Walker
"Caroline (Wegner) really found her stride this past weekend. After being out of competition for a year, it's tough to get back into it. She improved week to week in her first three tournaments and came away with two ranked wins to end a nice tournament block for her. She is back to where she left off at the end of her sophomore year and perhaps a little bit further along and it's really encouraging for her and the entire team.
"Olaya (Garrido-Rivas) also picked up a ranked win and competed better. She's building confidence with more matches and just needs to improve her serve some more before she can beat anyone.
"It's never easy playing your first collegiate tournament matches, but Marie (Norris) handled it really well and came away with two solid wins before falling to a good player from USC. The heartbreaker of the weekend was probably Olaya and Caroline second round doubles. They played a skilled team from Utah and battled to be in position to win before falling closely in a tiebreaker. Overall, it was another weekend of fun and improvement. Seda (Arantekin) and Marie have a great opportunity this week and I'm confident Seda's experience and Marie's youthful eagerness will combine for a great run."
Riviera/ITA All-American Championships Results
Singles
Pre-Qualifying Draw
R1: #101 Monica Robinson (Notre Dame) def. Mia King (TCU): 6-2, 6-4
R1: Caroline Wegner (TCU) def. #91 Andrea Ka (San Francisco): 6-2, 6-3
R1: Marie Norris (TCU) def. #106 Abby Owens (LSU): 6-2, 7-5
R1: Olaya Garrido-Rivas (TCU) def. #123 Jessica Perez (LMU): 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
R2: Caroline Wegner (TCU) def. #81 Gabriella Castaneda (FSU): 2-6, 6-3, 6-3
R2: Marie Norris (TCU) def. Caroline Ryba (Minnesota): 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
R2: #96 Shannon Hudson (Arkansas) def. Olaya Garrido-Rivas (TCU): 6-2, 7-5
R3: Kaitlyn McCarthy (Duke) def. Caroline Wegner (TCU): 6-2, 7-5
R3: Rianna Valdes (USC) def. Marie Norris (TCU): 6-3, 6-4
Doubles
Pre-Qualifying Draw
R1: Wegner/Garrido-Rivas (TCU) def. Bellinger/Poggensee-Wei (Cinn): 8-3
R2: #52 Pletcher/Turley (Utah) def. Wegner/Garrido-Rivas (TCU): 8-7(6)
Up Next
The No. 40 ranked pair of Seda Arantekin and Marie Norris will begin their doubles journey at the championships by opening in the first round of the qualifying draw against Lexi Borr and Asiya Dair of Boston College on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at the Riviera Tennis Club.
Players Mentioned
