ABILENE, Texas — The Southwestern University Pirates women's tennis team had six advance to the Round of 16 after Day 1 of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional Championships, setting a new best under head coach Billy Porter.
Overall, the Pirates went 20-4 in singles and 6-3 in doubles, paced by Esther Bowers, who is the highest seed for Southwestern at No. 4.
Bowers defeated UT-Dallas' Svaksh Iyengar 6-2, 6-3 and shutout Centenary Texas' Isabella Wiik with two 6-0 sets to advance to play UT-Dallas' Suzuka Nishino.
First years Nina Mitrofanova and Emma Kesterson advanced to the second day as well. /The seventh-seeded Mitrofanova defeated Harden-Simons' Jordan Shepley (6-0, 6-1) and Hendrix's Becky Sherman (6-0) and will match up with Hardin-Simmons' Landry Laywell on Saturday. Kesterson, the eighth seed, defeated Hendrix's Shelby Worsham and McMurry's Claire Huffine to advance to a match against Hardin-Simmons' Kaitlyn Hathorn.
In the lower seeds (9-16), Allie Ziehm earned a Saturday match with No. 1 seed Kathy Joseph (UT-Dallas) on Saturday, defeating Austin College's Georgia Moore and LeTourneau's Maddison Brackenreg.
Mariana Quetzeri bested Hardin-Simmons' Kyra Mobley and Schreiner's Jennifer Garcia and will face No. 5-seed Zoe Kaffen from Trinity. Taylor Despriet also advanced, defeating Hardin-Simmons' Maddie Hammond and Austin College's Garielle Francis.
In the B draw, Isabel Candelario upset No. 1 seed Abby Jones from East Texas Baptist and Mary Hardin-Baylor's Alondra Torres. Chandler Vrba defeated East Texas Baptist's Corinne Hall in the matchup between the 3-4 seeds.
In A Draw doubles, Bowers and Mitrofanova advanced to the second day, defeating McMurry's Parnell and Roberson and Trinity's Debauge and Markiewicz. They'll face UT-Dallas' pairing of Nishino and Iyengar tomorrow.
Women's Recap Day 1 pic.twitter.com/duhzDVczjb
— Southwestern Tennis (@SUPiratesTennis) September 21, 2019