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Castellvi earned a spot in the finals
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Jan. 18, 2003
LAS VEGAS, Nev.
University of Tennessee Lady Vol senior tennis standout Vilmarie Castellvi chalked up a pair of victories on Saturday at the Collegiate Tennis Kickoff in Las Vegas, Nev., to earn a spot in the singles final tomorrow. Castellvi, the nation's No. 4-ranked player, will take on No. 17 Amber Liu of Stanford for the championship.
Castellvi and her rookie opponent Liu are no strangers to one another as the two met on a pair of different occasions during the fall season. Liu claimed the first meeting in the second round of the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships by a 6-2, 6-4 count. Round two went to Castellvi in a three-set marathon in the backdraw of the Omni Hotels Intercollegiate Indoor Championships, 6-7(1), 6-1, 7-6(4).
Castellvi dispatched of 38th-rated Marlene Mejia of North Carolina in her quarterfinal match at the Collegiate Tennis Kickoff, 6-3, 6-2, and then added Stanford's Alice Barnes, ranked 13th nationally, to her list of victims with another straight set triumph, 6-2, 6-1, in the semis. The Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, native is now 3-0 this spring and 14-3 overall for the 2002-03 campaign.
Freshman Melissa Schaub teamed with Castellvi to defeat Georgia's Agata Cioroch and Tina Hojnik, 8-3, in the semifinals of the doubles, setting the stage for a matchup with Zerene Reyes and Jennifer Magley of Florida tomorrow. Schaub and Castellvi are ranked No. 22 in the country, while Reyes and Magley are unranked. Unfortunately, Schaub did not have as much success in singles, dropping her consolation match with Alexandra Smith of Georgia in three sets, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6.
In other action at the tournament, senior Crystal Cleveland won two matches in the consolation rounds to set up a showdown with Tracie Chong of Nevada-Las Vegas tomorrow. Cleveland advanced to the finals by upending Agnieszka Abram of UNLV in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, in the quarters. The Delray Beach, Fla., native was then awarded the victory in her semifinal contest with Caylan Leslie of Notre Dame when Leslie retired before the start of the second set with an injury. Cleveland was on top at the time, having taken the first frame, 6-4.
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| SINGLES |
| #4 Vilmarie Castellvi (UT) def. #38 Marlene Mejia (North Carolina) 6-3, 6-2 |
| #4 Vilmarie Castellvi (UT) def. #13 Alice Barnes (Stanford) 6-2, 6-1 |
| SINGLES-CONSOLATION |
| Crystal Cleveland (UT) def. Agnieszka Abram (UNLV) 6-3, 6-2 |
| Crystal Cleveland (UT) def. Caylan Leslie (Notre Dame) 6-4, Retired |
| Alexandra Smith (Georgia) def. Melissa Schaub (UT) 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 |
| DOUBLES |
| #22 Castellvi/Schaub (UT) def. Agata Cioroch/Tina Hojnik (Georgia) 8-3 |
