AU competes in first day at state women's tennis tournament
10/16/09

ITHACA, NY -- Two Alfred University singles players and a doubles team advanced past the first round of the New York State women's tennis championships Friday.

AU sophomore Griffin Currie (Erie, PA/Mercyhurst Prep) and junior Kate Cohen (Bradford, PA/Bradford) won their first-round singles matches in the single-elimination New York State Women's Collegiate Athletic Association (NYSWCAA) championshisp, being held Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Ithaca College. Currie, seeded 13th in first singles, defeated 14th-seeded Christine Roe of RPI, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2. Cohen, the 14th seed in sixth singles, defeated the 13th seed, Marissa Rotondo of St. John Fisher, 6-1, 7-5.

Currie advanced to face second-seeded Danika Robison of Skidmore, while Cohen moved on to face number two Tory Engos of Skidmore. Both quarterfinal matches will be played Saturday morning.

Alfred's second doubles team of sophomore Sarah Foster (Adelaide, Australia/Sparta, NJ) and senior Holly Seidewand (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas), seeded eighth, beat the seventh-seeded team from RPI, Rachel Smith and Brianne Dickey, 8-6. They advanced to a quarterfinal matchup Saturday afternoon with Melanie Cohen and Agata Kubik, the fifth-seeded team from Ithaca.

In other singles matches, Foster, seeded sixth in second singles, lost to fifth-seeded Elena Vahl of Fisher, 6-1, 6-1; junior Autumn McLain (Oneida, NY/Oneida), the 11th seed in third singles, lost to 12th-seeded Nataly Mendoza of Skidmore, 6-0, 6-1; Seidewand, seeded sixth in fourth singles, lost to fifth-seeded Jamie Bow of Rochester, 6-0, 6-2; and freshman Brittany Bowen (Avoca, NY/Avoca), the seventh seed in fifth singles, lost to Marie Rekevant of Rochester, the eighth seed, 6-0, 6-1.

Currie and McLain, seeded 13th in first doubles, lost to 14th-seeded Hallie Mabry and Elisa Malkin of Union, 8-2, and Cohen and sophomore Shannon Tovey (Chester, CT/Valley Regional), the sixth seed in third doubles, lost to fifth-seeded Sarah Hollis and Devra Reiman of Ithaca, 8-6.

Quarterfinal and semifinal rounds for singles will be held Saturday, with singles championship matches scheduled for Sunday. Doubles quarterfinals will be held Saturday, with the semifinals and championships in doubles held Sunday.