SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento State doubles duo of Maddy Ferreros and Irene Riva showed well at last weekend's ITA Conference Masters event in Rome, Ga., reaching the main draw semifinals and falling just one win shy of a berth into the 2024 NCAA Individual Championships.
Facing teams from across the nation, the Hornet tandem opened their run with a straight-set victory over Emilia Valentinsson and Sara Zalukar from Miami University, 7-5, 6-3, then outlasted Bryant's team of Caitlyn Munson and Natalia Vela in three sets, 5-7, 6-4, 10-4.
Ferreros and Riva continued to roll on day two, easing past the Naval Academy's Emily Tannenbaum and Parvathi Shanker, 6-2, 6-0, before suffering their first loss of the tournament in the semifinals to Appalachian State's Savannah Dada-Mascoll and Isabella Romanichen, 6-3, 6-1.
With the top three doubles teams earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament, Ferreros and Riva faced off against Celia-Belle Mohr and Sophia Webster from Vanderbilt for third place, winning the first set in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (5), before falling by the scores of 6-0 and 10-5 to finish fourth.
In singles, sophomore Lou Baudoin fell in her main draw opening round match to Charleston Southern's Marina Skegro, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, but rebounded in the consolation draw defeating Illinois-Chicago's Mayu Ushio, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, and advancing to the semifinals with a walkover against South Carolina State's Sofiya Chursina.
In the semis, Baudouin was finally subdued, falling to South Dakota's Beata Havlickova, 6-0, 6-4.
Meanwhile, back on the West Coast, the rest of the Hornet contingent was busy competing at the Cal Poly Invitational in San Luis Obispo, Calif., taking on the Mustangs and Fresno State in singles and doubles competitions.
Sophomore Reese Walker finished 2-1 in singles play thanks to a straight set win over Cal Poly's Peyton Dunkle, 7-5, 7-5, and a three-set victory over the Mustangs' Jessica MacCallum, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3.
Freshman Emilija Pranyte, senior Weronika Ejsmont, junior Palina Saulevich, and sophomore Elena Mercioiu, also posted singles wins on the weekend.
In doubles, Saulevich and Pranyte won their opener, 6-1, over Cal Poly's Romane Mosse and Sarah MacCallum, while Saulevich teamed up with Ejsmont for a 6-2 win over Fresno State's Sofia Pizzoni and Andjela Lopicic.
The two events wrapped up the fall portion of the team's schedule as the Hornets open the spring championship season on Jan. 26 at home against Pacific at Noon.
ITA CONFERENCE MASTERS
Nov. 7-10, 2024
Berry College / Rome, Ga.
SINGLES
Main Draw
R32 - Marina Skegro (Charleston Southern) def. Lou Baudouin (Sacramento State), 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
Consolation Draw
R16Q - Lou Baudouin (Sacramento State) def. Mayu Ushio (Illinois-Chicago), 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
R16 - BYE
QF - Lou Baudouin (Sacramento State) adv. Sofiya Chursina (South Carolina State), walkover (inj.)
SF - Beata Havlickova (South Dakota) def. Lou Baudouin (Sacramento State), 6-0, 6-4
DOUBLES
Main Draw
R32 - Maddy Ferreros / Irene Riva (Sacramento State) def. Emilia Valentinsson / Sara Zalukar (Miami [OH]), 7-5, 6-3
R16 - Maddy Ferreros / Irene Riva (Sacramento State) def. Caitlyn Munson / Natalia Vela (Bryant), 5-7, 6-4, 10-4
QF - Maddy Ferreros / Irene Riva (Sacramento State) def. Emily Tannenbaum / Parvathi Shanker (Navy), 6-2, 6-0
SF - Savannah Dada-Mascoll / Isabella Romanichen (Appalachian State) def. Maddy Ferreros / Irene Riva (Sacramento State), 6-3, 6-1
3rd/4th - Celia-Belle Mohr / Sophia Webster (Vanderbilt) def. Maddy Ferreros / Irene Riva (Sacramento State), 6-7 (5), 6-0, 10-5
CAL POLY INVITATIONAL
Nov. 8-10, 2024
San Luis Obispo, Calif. / Ronca Tennis Center
DOUBLES
Friday
Palina Saulevich / Emilija Pranyte (SAC) def. Romane Mosse / Sarah MacCallum (CP), 6-1
Charlotte Gisclon / Kiara Vukicevic (FS) def. Reese Walker / Weronika Ejsmont (SAC), 6-2
Saturday
Matilde Magrini / Yinglak Jittakoat (FS) def. Emillija Pranyte / Palina Saulevich (SAC), 7-6 (5)
Romane Mosse / Natalie Lynch (CP) def. Weronika Ejsmont / Reese Walker (SAC), 6-3
Sunday
Romane Mosse / Kennedy Buntrock (CP) def. Emilija Pranyte / Reese Walker (SAC), 6-3
Weronika Ejsmont / Palina Saulevich (SAC) def. Sofia Pizzoni / Andjela Lopicic (FS), 6-2
SINGLES
Friday
Matilde Magrini (FS) def. Reese Walker (SAC), 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
Emilija Pranyte (SAC) def. Peyton Dunkle (CP), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
Weronika Ejsmont (SAC) def. Amy Leather (CP), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
Yinglak Jattakoat (FS) def. Palina Saulevich (SAC), 6-0, 6-3
Elena Mercioiu (SAC) def. Anushree Shekhera (CP), 7-6 (3)
Saturday
Reese Walker (SAC) def. Peyton Dunkle (CP), 7-5, 7-5
Alexandra Ozerets (CP) def. Weronika Ejsmont (SAC), 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-2
Sofia PIzzoni (FS) def. Emilija Pranyte (SAC), 6-3, 7-5
Eliza Dunbar (FS) def. Palina Saulevich (SAC), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
Sunday
Amy Leather (CP) def. Elena Mercioiu (SAC), 6-4
Romane Mosse (CP) def. Emilija Pranyte (SAC), 6-2, 6-3
Palina Saulevich (SAC) def. Gianna Mastro (FS), 6-0, 6-0
Andjela Lopicic (FS) def. Weronika Ejsmont (SAC), 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
Reese Walker (SAC) def. Jessica MacCallum (CP), 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
