Lalewicz stays hot at nationals

Special to the Gazette

May 07, 2008 10:41 pm

— TIFTON — The bubble burst somewhat for the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Fillies tennis team Wednesday at the NJCAA Women’s National Tennis Tournament being played at Tucson, Ariz.
ABAC had representatives in five national semifinal matches Wednesday; however, only one won. That knocked out any possibility of the Fillies challenging for a team national championship.
“You could only roll so far as a Cinderella,” said ABAC coach Alan Kramer.
“We lost matches to several good teams today. But, we have played up to our potential. If you play as good as you can, and the other team wins, there is nothing you can do about that and you can be satisfied that you have played to the best of your ability.”
ABAC’s one win Tuesday means that Monika Lalewicz will play for the national championship at No. 1 singles today. That would mean she would also be named as an All-American.
Lalewicz defeated Vanja Mikovic of Broward (Fla.) Community College, 6-1, 6-0, in her Wednesday semifinal matchup. That win means Lalewicz has played four singles matches at nationals and has only lost two games in eight sets.
The ABAC freshman will go for All-American honors at 10:30 this morning when she faces Kasia Siwosz of Cowley County (Kansas) Community College.
Siwosz is the defending national champion. A sophomore that has already signed with Baylor to continue her career and education, Siwosz has only lost one match as a junior college player.
However, that one match was against Lalewicz in the finals of the ITA National Small College National Championships, 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-3, last fall. It was Lalewicz’s first touranment as a Fillie.
“Monika has rolled through the tournament, but you know Kasia is going to want to keep her title,” said Kramer. “It should be a a great match.”
In No. 2 singles, ABAC captain Kedi Magakgala fell in a semifinal match against top-seed Jessica Mezo of Laredo (Texas) Community College, 6-3, 6-1.
At No. 4 singles, Chade’ Scott played in her first national semifinal match as an ABAC Fillie, and was defeated by the bracket’s second seed, Sureena Weir of Tyler (Texas) Junior College, 6-0, 6-1. Scott was the fifth seed in the bracket.
In doubles competition, Lalewicz and Magakgala was defeated 6-2, 7-5 by Mezo and Loriane Favoretto of Laredo (Texas) in a No. 1 bracket semifinal match. The Laredo duo was the third seed in the bracket, while Magakgala and Lalewicz comprised the second-seed.
At No. 3 doubles, Nyska Etienne and Shea Schmidt of Barton County (Kansas) Community College defeated ABAC’s Lindsay Jacobs and Brooke Anglin, 6-2, 6-2.