Falcons Go 15 for 16 in Friday Action at Rocket Invitational

Friday, October 14

Toledo, Ohio

10:00 AM

Bowling Green State University

Rocket Invitational

Head coach Penny Dean talks to senior Jessica Easdale during a match earlier this season. Easdale was one of six Falcons to go unbeaten on Friday in Toledo (Doug Sampson photo)

October 14, 2011 | Women's Tennis

BGSU dominates first-day action in the Glass City

By: TOLEDO, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University tennis team was nothing short of dominant on Friday (Oct. 14). The Falcons had a combined record of 15-1 in first-day action at the Rocket Invitational. The two-day, four-team invite is being held at the Shadow Valley Tennis Club.

FRIDAY RESULTS / SATURDAY SCHEDULE - PDF

All seven of coach Penny Dean's players posted at least one win on the day, with no fewer than six of those seven Falcons going undefeated. Juniors Katie Grubb and Mary Hill, along with sophomores Nikki Chiricosta and Emily Reuland, each went 3-0 in Friday play.

BGSU's 2011-12 co-captains, senior Jessica Easdale and junior Maddy Eccleston, each went 2-0 on the day, while junior Jade Johnson posted a 2-1 mark.

The Falcons lost a total of only four games in doubles, and all but one of BGSU's singles wins was in straight sets.

The Rocket Invitational utilizes a hidden dual format, meaning that - for the most part - all BGSU players were competing against opponents from the same team at the same time. Friday play called for the Falcons to face Duquesne University in doubles and both DU and the University of Detroit Mercy in singles play.

In doubles, Eccleston teamed up with Johnson for an 8-0 win, while each of BGSU's other two teams picked up an 8-2 win over the Dukes. Those Falcon tandems consisted of Chiricosta and Hill, along with Grubb and Reuland.

In singles action, the Falcons went a perfect 6-0 in the first round of Friday play, with five of those wins coming against Detroit. Hill battled back from a first-set loss to win a narrow 7- 6 second set against UDM's Amanda Cornwell. Then, the BG junior coasted to a 10-3 win in the super tiebreaker.

No other Falcon lost more than five games against the Titans. Reuland dropped only one game in her straight-sets win over Elena Strakhova, while Chiricosta lost a total of only three games in her two sets. Johnson and Easdale each posted wins in the minimum two sets.

With UDM fielding only five players, Grubb took on Duquesne's Daniela Osio in the first round of Friday singles play. The BG junior lost only two games in her straight-sets victory.

Ironically, Grubb and Osio played three doubles matches as teammates in last month's BGSU Invitational (Sept. 16-17), as both the Falcons and Dukes had an odd number of competitors in that weekend's play.

The later rounds of singles play saw the Falcons win five of six singles matches vs. Duquesne players. Hill lost only one game against Judy Li, while Eccleston equalled that feat in a lopsided win over Chandler Consonery. Chiricosta, Reuland and Easdale also posted straight-set wins, while Grubb downed Elise Carter, 8-2, in an abbreviated singles match.

The Rocket Invitational concludes on Saturday (Oct. 15), with BGSU scheduled to meet both host Toledo and Detroit in doubles in the morning, and the Rockets in singles play in the afternoon.

FRIDAY'S BGSU RESULTS
DOUBLES
Chiricosta/Hill
def. Gruber/Li (DU) 8-2

Eccleston/Johnson
def. O'Sullivan/Steiner (Duquesne) 8-0

Grubb/Reuland
def. Majdalani/Consonert (DU) 8-2

SINGLES
Nikki Chiricosta
def. Karoub (Detroit) 6-3, 6-0
def. Steiner (DU) 6-1, 6-3

Jssica Easdale
def. Fernandes (UDM) 6-4, 6-1
def. Assaf (DU) 7-5, 6-1

Maddy Eccleston
def. Consonery (DU) 6-0, 6-1

Katie Grubb
def. Osio (DU) 6-2, 6-0
def. Carter (DU) 8-2

Mary Hill
def. Cornwell (UDM) 2-6, 7-6(4), 1-0 (10-3)
def. Li (DU) 6-0, 6-1

Jade Johnson
def. Halabi (UDM) 6-2, 6-3
lost to Majdalani (DU) 6-3, 6-3

Emily Reuland
def. Strakhova (UDM) 6-0, 6-1
def. Gruber (DU) 6-4, 6-4