Lady Vikings 3-1 on Spring trip

HILTON HEAD, S.C. -- Three Missouri Valley College women's tennis players went unbeaten in singles play last week during the Spring Break Tournament at Hilton Head, S.C.

Freshman Elanqua Griffin, senior Nicki Erickson and junior Lindsay Tworek won all four of their matches as the Lady Vikings took three out of four contests. Tworek added a perfect 4-0 record in doubles play.

Valley began Sunday, March 15, with a 7-2 victory over Fairmont State (W.Va.), with Griffin and Erickson teaming for an 8-2 win at No. 1 doubles and Tworek and freshman Davina Holtfreter blanking the Lady Falcons (0-1) at No. 3, 8-0.

Besides Griffin (6-2, 6-2) at No. 1, Erickson (6-0, 6-0) at No. 2 and Tworek (6-3, 6-1) at No. 6, the Lady Vikings also got singles wins from Holtfreter (7-5, 7-5) at No. 4 and sophomore Shruti Bedi (6-0, 6-0) at No. 5.

Valley's tilt with Spring Arbor (Mich.) the next day was tighter, Erickson's decision at No. 2 being the tipping point, according to MVC coach Ryan Carney.

"If I had to pick someone to play in the decisive match, I would undoubtedly pick Nicki," Carney said about the former three-sport letterman from Marshall. "She showed why."

Griffin (6-1, 4-6, 6-2) and Tworek (6-1, 6-2) also beat the Lady Cougars (1-2) in singles, while the doubles teams of Griffin-Erickson (8-5) and Tworek-Holtfreter (8-6) also prevailed.

The Lady Vikings swept through Richard Stockton (N.J.), 9-0, on the third day. Besides Griffin-Erickson (8-4) and Tworek-Holtfreter (8-5), a new No. 2 doubles combination -- Bedi and freshman Tershelle Burrows -- also helped with a 9-8 (8-6) win.

While Griffin (6-3, 6-2), Erickson (6-3, 6-2), Holtfreter (6-4, 6-2) and Tworek (8-6, 6-3) enjoyed straight-set wins over the Ospreys (0-2) in singles, Burrows (2-6, 6-2, 11-9) and freshman Juliana Doyle (3-6, 6-4, 10-6) had to come from behind and take tiebreakers.

Valley's four-match win streak was snapped by North Georgia College on Thursday, 5-4. Tworek and Doyle (8-4) won in doubles and Griffin (6-4, 7-5), Erickson (6-4, 6-2) and Tworek (6-0, 7-6) got singles decisions.

The Saints (3-11) pulled out the win with a 2-6, 6-3, 10-4 victory by senior Katherine Harrison over Doyle at No. 4.

"While these wins are encouraging, we play one of our biggest matches of the year Friday when William Jewell comes to town," Carney noted about the clash between the top two ranked teams in the Heart of America Conference. "This will be a huge match for us and I think the girls are very ready."

Carney's not yet so sanguine about the young men's squad, which split its four matches -- losing the opener Monday, March 16, to Mississippi College, 5-4.

Valley won two of three doubles contests, both 8-5 scores by freshman Alvar Marimon and sophomore Diego Malaga at No. 2 and freshmen Alain Antoine and Daniel Rhoades. However, the Choctaws (5-3) took four of six singles matches, the exceptions being wins by freshman Jason Rolle (6-2, 7-5) at No. 1 and Malaga (6-3, 6-1) at No. 4.

Three of the Vikings' singles losses had at least one set go to a tiebreaker, with a 5-7, 7-5, 13-11 loss by Marimon to sophomore Corey Seay at No. 3 especially unfortunate.

Valley rolled over Frostburg State (Md.), 8-1, sweeping doubles behind Rolle and sophomore Derek Gillilan (8-2), Malaga and sophomore Marko Vulovic (8-5), and Antoine-Rhodes (8-3).

Rolle (6-1, 6-1), Malaga (6-1, 6-1), Antoine (6-1, 6-2), Vulovic (6-1, 6-4) and Rhoades (6-3, 6-2) disposed of the Bobcats (0-1) in singles.

The only winner for the Vikings during Thursday's 8-1 loss to North Georgia (2-8), which snapped a seven-match skid, was Marimon at No. 3 singles - a 6-4, 3-6, 10-4 decision over freshman Adrien Saulais.

Valley wrapped up the trip Friday by downing Hobart (N.Y.), 6-3. Rolle-Gillilan (8-0) and Marimon-Malaga (8-3) won in doubles, with Rolle (6-2, 6-3), Gillilan (6-3, 6-1), Marimon (6-2, 6-3) and Malaga (6-2, 6-4) beating the Statesmen (2-7) in singles.

"Overall, I was pleased with the effort," Carney concluded, "but we now have a much better idea of the things we need to work on."