De-Souza and Gnezdilova win consolation, Barton Women's Tennis places 7th at National Tournament #GoBarton

The Barton Community College women's tennis team finished 7th this week at the NJCAA Division I Championship held at the Mesa Tennis Center in Mesa, Arizona.

Ranked 4th in the final regular season poll, Barton went a combined 19-9 in their four days of competition with seven of the losses coming to the eventual national champion, four to the national runner-up, and two to national semifinalist.

The Cougars stood in 7th after day one's competition, dropped to 9th the day following, then made a spot climb in each of the remaining two days compiling 24 points to tie State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota for the final 7th position.

Joining Barton in the top eight of the leaderboard were Region VI members Cowley College (3rd) and Seward County Community College (5th) while the remaining schools hailed from either Florida or Texas including national champion Tyler Junior College.

A pair of Cougars, Annuniciata De-Souza in the No. 2 singles draw and Angelina Gnezdilova in the No. 4 slot, bounced back from an opening day loss to end the tournament with a victory and claim the consolation final title. 

Staying in the singles championship side of the bracket, both Natsuki Nishimura and Alexandra Abyasova had their season end to the eventual national runner-up, Nishimura bowing out in the semifinals with Abyasova falling in the quarterfinal round.

In the final two slots of singles play, each won their first match before being bounced by either the top seed overall of the second seed. Malena Hernandez' loss in the No. 5 spot came to the top seed and eventual national runner-up while No. 6 player Hailey Vinroe blanked her first opponent before running into the second seed.

Same story but different dance in doubles action. The Cougars top duo of De-Souza and Nishimura had a great run through the No. 1 bracket but lost a three-setter in the semifinals to the eventual national champion.

The No. 2 pairing of Abysavoa and Hernandez blanked their first opponent before falling in the quarterfinals to the 4th seed. Much like their singles draws, Gnezdilova and Vinroe fell victim of the same situation as they won their first No. 3 doubles matchup before falling to the 2nd seed who would go on to finish national runner-up.

Barton Results:

Singles
No. 1 Singles: Alexandra Abyasova (6th Seeded)
1st Round - defeated Madaline Jacobs, Sauk Valley, 6-0, 6-0
Round of 16 - defeated Krissy Georgieva, Mississippi Gulf Coast, 6-0, 6-1
Quarterfinals – lost to (3) Natalie Kohoutkova, ABAC, 7-5, 6-2 *Runner-up

No. 2 Singles: Annunciata De-Souza (5th Seeded) 
1st Round – lost to Manuella Peguy Eloundou, New Mexico Military Institute, 6-1, 1-6, 6-2
Consolation 1st Round – defeated Natalia Barron, Wallace State, 8-0
Consolation Round of 16 – received a bye
Consolation Quarterfinals – defeated Emily Anne Beasley, University of South Carolina-Sumter, 8-2
Consolation Semifinals – defeated (8) Alizee Ripolles, Harford, 8-4
Consolation Finals – defeated Sofia Andrade, Iowa Central, 8-3

No. 3 Singles: Natsuki Nishimura (3rd Seeded)
1st Round – received a bye
Round of 16 - defeated Harper Bryan, Meridian, 6-0, 6-0
Quarterfinals – defeated (6) Lucia Garcia, St. Petersburg College, 7-5, 6-2
Semifinals – lost to (2) Viktoryia Zhadzinskaya, Hillsborough, 6-2, 6-0 *Runner-up

No. 4 Singles: Angelina Gnezdilova (6th Seeded)
1st Round – received a bye
Round of 16 – lost to Nicolle Romero, Eastern Florida State College, 1-6, 6-0, 7-6(5)
Consolation Round of 16 – defeated Bryndle Burks, Kaskaskia College, 8-0
Consolation Quarterfinals – defeated Alexis Sneek, Sauk Valley, 8-0
Consolation Semifinals – defeated JaNaya Reeves, Paradise Valley, 8-0
Consolation Finals – defeated Judith Mills, Jones College, 8-0

No. 5 Singles: Malena Hernandez
1st Round – defeated Tia Topps, Mississippi Gulf Coast, 6-2, 6-0
Round of 16 – lost to (1) Momoko Yoshimura, Tyler JC, 6-0, 6-3 *Runner-Up

No. 6 Singles: Hailey Vinroe
1st Round – defeated Alyssa Marquez, Sauk Valley, 6-0, 6-0
Round of 16 – lost to (2) Ane Ibarra, Cowley College, 6-0, 6-2 *Semifinalist

Doubles  
No. 1 Doubles: Annunciata De-Souza / Natsuki Nishimura (4th Seeded)
1st Round - defeated Harper Bryan / Isabella Warham, Meridian, 6-1, 6-0
Round of 16 - defeated Natalia Beltran Diaz / Alejandra Vargas Alvarez, East Central, 6-0, 6-0
Quarterfinals – defeated (5) Laura Quezada Martinez / Lea Rebreyend, Cowley College, 6-3, 6-1
Semifinals – lost to (1) Destinee Martins / Lauren Anzalotta, Tyler JC, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 *Champion

No. 2 Doubles: Alexandra Abyasova / Malena Hernandez (5th Seeded)
1st Round – received a bye
Round of 16 - defeated Tessa Ward / Carla Montaruli, Meridian, 6-0, 6-0
Quarterfinals – withdrew – victory to (4) Saki Matsubara / Karla Ortega, St. Petersburg College *Semifinalist

No. 3 Doubles: Angelina Gnezdilova / Hailey Vinroe
1st Round – defeated Laila Sisson / Madison Autry, East Central, 6-0, 6-0
Round of 16 – lost to (2) Momoka Yoshimura / Jadeh Chan, Tyler JC, 6-0, 6-1 *Runner-Up

Team Standings:
Place - Team - TOTAL POINTS
1st Tyler Junior College 49
2nd Hillsborough Community College 44
3rd Cowley College 35
4th St. Petersburg College 34
5th Seward County Community College 27
6th Eastern Florida State College 26
7th Barton County Community College 24
7th State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota 24
9th Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College 23
10th Iowa Central Community College 19.5
11th Collin College 18
12th Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College 14
13th Meridian Community College 13.5
14th Eastern Arizona College 12.5
14th Jones College 12.5
16th Copiah-Lincoln Community College 12
17th New Mexico Military Institute 9.5
18th Central Alabama Community College 8.5
19th Wallace State 8
20th Harford Community College 7.5
21st East Central Community College 7
21st Kaskaskia College 7
23rd Hinds Community College 5.5
24th Marion Military Institute 4
25th Bryant and Stratton College 3.5
26th Paradise Valley Community College 3
26th Sauk Valley Community College 3
28th University of South Carolina-Sumter 1.5
29th Mesa Community College 1

Complete NJCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championship information