Oct. 20, 2002
NORFOLK, Va. - George Mason sent six players to the 2002 East Coast Women's Tennis Championships held at Old Dominion and Norfolk State Oct. 18-20.
Senior captain Dinali DeSilva (Negombo, Sri. Lanka/Stafford International) bested Radford's Christina Glas 6-1, 6-4 in the first round of the Flight B draw before falling 3-6, 2-6, to the eventual draw champion in Virginia's Marta Bechliwanis. Freshman Jenn Dektas (Maineville, OH/Cincinnati Hills Christian Acad.) was downed in the main draw 3-6, 1-6 by Miami's Ewelina Skaza. Zeynep Inanli of Lees McRae then bested Dektas, 6-8, in the consolation draw.
Sophomore Katie Sloper (Alexandria, VA/Bishop Ireton) lost 1-6, 1-6 to James Madison's Kristin Nordstrom in Flight C singles. Sloper defeated Alison Lindsey of Radford 8-3 in the first round of the back draw and received a bye to the quarterfinals where she lost 5-8 to Connecticut's April Dixon. Sophomore Suzan Tugberk (Fairfax, VA/Hilton Head Prep.) was also downed in the first round of Flight C, losing 1-6, 0-6 to Casey Cohen of Richmond. In the consolation round, Tugberk fell to Lees McRae's Rhiannon Ruth, 3-8.
Freshmen Kelly Melichar (Burke, VA/Lake Braddock) and Jill Collins (Fairfax, VA/Robinson) competed in the Flight D draw. Melichar received a bye into the round of 16 where she fell to UMBC's Veena Rio, 3-6, 3-6. In the consolation draw, Davidson's Betsey Haywood bested Melichar 8-3 in the quarterfinals. Collins also dropped her match in the first round, losing to Sue Robertson of Virginia Wesleyan, 5-7, 1-6. Collins, however, advanced to the semifinal round of the back draw after winning 8-3 over Sarah Mostellar of UMBC in the round of 16, and defeating Barbara Wilson of Radford 8-1 in the quarterfinals. Collins did not compete in her semifinal contest.
In doubles action, Dektas and DeSilva lost to Howard 4-8 in Flight B. Sloper and Tugberk teamed in the Flight C draw, falling to Richmond, 3-8 in the quarterfinals. Campbell downed Collins and Melichar 2-8 in Flight D.
"The team played to the best of their abilities," said head coach Michael Coleman, "but we have a ways to go to be competitive at this level. We have the potential to compete, but we have to continue to work hard and maintain our desire to be successful."
The Patriots complete their fall tournament season, and will be in action again Feb. 1-2 at the Virginia Commonwealth 4+1 Tournament in Richmond, VA.
