FERRIS WOMEN’S TENNIS DUO ADVANCES TO NATIONAL TOURNEY
Barbora Jilkova And Laura Schaefer Claim Regional Doubles Title
 | Ferris State's Barbora Jilkova and Laura Schaefer are pictured above after winning the 2003 ITA Great Lakes Regional Doubles Crown In Indianapolis (Photo by Joe Gentry) |
The Ferris State University women's tennis doubles tandem of senior Barbora Jilkova (Prague, Czech Republic) and sophomore Laura Schaefer (St. Cloud, Minn./Apollo) advanced to the 2003 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Small College Championships with a victory in the final match of the ITA Great Lakes Region Championships Sunday (Sept. 21) at the Indianapolis Tennis Center in Indianapolis, Ind.
Jilkova and Schaefer, who were seeded third in the regional draw, upset top-seeded Aurelie Deridzard and Kristina Bogdanovic of Northwood by a score of 8-6 in Sunday's doubles title match. The ITA National Small College Championships will be held at the H.E. Butts Tennis Center in Corpus Christi, Texas, on October 16-19.
The Ferris duo won two matches Saturday (Sept. 20) to reach the final round. They defeated Northwood's Berenice Ferrer and Sue Rossano 8-4 before recording a 8-2 semifinal triumph against Shalini Chandrahasa and Aijana Otunchieva of Michigan Tech. The pair defeated Grand Valley State's Natalie Pallett and Kim VanSprange 8-0 in the first round before edging Indianapolis' Jessica Broadus and Simmi Rani 8-1 in the second round Friday (Sept. 19).
Jilkova previously registered a fifth-place finish while teaming with former Bulldog player Jennifer Garvey (1998-02) at the 2001 ITA National Small College Tennis Championships (10/18), which were held at Collin County Community College in Plano, Texas. They advanced to the national tournament by virtue of claiming the 2001 ITA Mid-American Regional Championship.
The National Small College Tennis Championships is an event presented by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and features the top players in the nation from NCAA Divisions II and II, NAIA and junior/community colleges battling it out to determine the top small college players in the country.
As the governing body of collegiate tennis, the ITA promotes both the athletic and academic achievements of the collegiate tennis community. The ITA, which was founded in 1956 and is based in Skillman, N.J., administers numerous regional and national championships and has a comprehensive awards program for players and coaches to honor excellence in academics, leadership and sportsmanship.
Ferris State, which is currently 4-0 overall, resumes Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) action by hosting Lake Superior State this Thursday (Sept. 25) at FSU's Racquet and Fitness Center in Big Rapids, Mich. The match is slated for a 3 p.m. (EDT) start.
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