Sept. 30, 2002
FAIRFAX, Va. - George Mason's women's tennis team competed at the 27th annual DC Metropolitan Intercollegiate Tennis Championship, Sept. 27-30, co-hosted by Georgetown, American, and George Washington Universities in Washington, DC. The Patriots provided several outstanding performances throughout the tournament.
Mason freshman Jenn Dektas (Maineville, OH/Cincinnati Hills Christian Acad.) won 6-3, 6-2 to open her match in the flight "A" main draw, but lost 1-6, 1-6 in the quarterfinals. Senior captain Dinali DeSilva (Negombo, Sri Lanka/Stafford International) fell 2-6, 5-7 in her main draw match, but advanced to the semifinals of the consolation "A" draw, before losing 2-6, 3-6.
Freshman Kelly Melichar (Burke, VA/Lake Braddock) posted two straight set victories in the flight "B" main draw, advancing to the quarterfinals, before falling to Georgetown's Lara Madonia, the top-seed in the draw.
Patriot freshman Jill Collins (Fairfax, VA/Robinson) and sophomore Katie Sloper (Alexandria, VA/Bishop Ireton) both lost their first round flight "B" main draw matches. The two were paired in the bottom half of the consolation bracket, and advanced to face each other in the semifinals where Sloper defeated Collins, 6-2, 6-3. Collins used a three-set 7-5, 2-6, 10-4 win in the quarterfinals to earn a spot in the semis. Sloper will face Loyola's Caitlin Larocco in the consolation final.
Sophomore Suzan Tugberk (Fairfax, VA/Hilton Head Prep.) won 6-1, 6-1 in her opening match of the flight "B" consolation draw, before falling in three sets, 6-2, 4-6, 5-10 in the quarterfinals. Junior Deepti Bhalla (Lorton, VA/Hayfield) also competed in the draw.
DeSilva and Dektas, who entered the main draw of flight "A" doubles as the No. 2 seed, won their opening round match 9-8(3) over Howard's top team, but lost 5-8 in the semifinals. Tugberk teamed with Sloper in the flight "B" doubles main draw, while Melichar and Collins combined. Both teams dropped early round matches.
"I was pleased with the overall performance of this team," stated head coach Michael Coleman. "This year the Mason women gained experience and the Patriots were definitely heard from in this event."
George Mason will take a few weeks off before traveling to Norfolk, VA to participate in the East Coast Collegiate Championships, Oct. 18-20, on the campus of Old Dominion.
