10th ranked Barton women's tennis concludes season with 7th place finish; No. 2 and No. 3 doubles win consolation championships #GoBarton

The 10th ranked Barton Community College women's tennis team bettered their ranking with a 7th place finish at the 2024 NJCAA Division I National Tennis Championship held this past weekend at the JoAnn Medlock Murphy Tennis Center in Tyler, Texas.

The Cougars posted a combined 17-9 record over the four days of competition with three of those defeats coming to eventual national champions and two others to other nationally ranked opponents.

For the fourth straight year, Barton placed inside the top-10, compiling 23 points for their 7th place finish tying Jones Community College. Fellow Region VI member Cowley College claimed the program's first title with 50 points as the Tigers captured six of the nine events over the tournament with conference foe Seward County finishing just above the Cougars in 6th with 23 points in the 30 team field.

Starting the tournament near perfect, the Cougars rattled off a 5-1 record after opening round tilts with singles going 4-0 with bye's received at No. 5 and No. 6 as doubles posted a 1-1 record with No. 3 advancing off an opening round bye.

Advancing the furthest in the event, No. 2 doubles tandem of Andjela Mrvaljevic and Andrea Pulido along with No. 3 doubles Ana Alice Tosetto and Ana Vasilis each rolling back through the backside of the bracket to capture the consolation titles.

Bounced after a tough 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 opening round loss, Mrvaljevic and Pulido responded reeling off three straight victories on the consolation side to clinch the finals. The pair won their first backside draw match in the Quarterfinals 8-3 after receiving a pair of byes, and then picked up an 8-6 Semifinal victory. In the consolation Championship bout, the pair made quick work over Northwest Mississippi's Mattie Sanders and Graceann Wade clinching with an 8-2 triumph.

Receiving an opening round bye, Tosetto and Vasilis suffered their lone setback in the second round falling to Seward County's Otoha Mogi and Lara Torres 6-3, 6-1. Regrouping with a clean 8-0 victory to kick start the backside run, the duo dialed in only to drop five games over their final three matches in route to capture the consolation title.

The Cougars' top doubles group of Luciana Braga and Carmen Lyons advanced to the second round with a 6-0, 7-5, victory but had their season end to conference rival and sixth seeded Polya Nikolova and Emma Petton of Seward County 6-3, 6-3.

Another highlight from the week came off the scoreboard as Braga's character on the court showed throughout the tournament as the sophomore was presented with the prestigious NJCAA "Jovana Vasic Spirit of Competition Award". Nominated, evaluated, and selected by coaches and officials at the championship. Braga was rewarded of her fair play, sportsmanship, and competitive spirit with the annual award present in memory of St. Petersburg College standout Jovana Vasic. Braga's recipient of the award marked the third time the Cougars have received the award since 2017, as the sophomore joined 2024 Barton Sports Hall of Fame inductee Neus Torregrosa's pair won in 2017 and 2018.

Braga, ranked 6th and seeded fifth in No. 1 flight, chalked up a trio of wins in advancing to the Semifinals for the second straight year. Needing just two-sets to secure her trio of victories including a win over conference foe Emma Petton of Seward County in the second round, her Barton career would come to a close matching up with a second Region VI opponent in the Semifinals, falling to top ranked, top seeded and eventual national champion Yerkezhan Arystanbekoya of Cowley.

No. 4 Lyons was seeded 7th, advanced to the quarterfinals after an opening round 6-2, 6-0 victory of Sophie Sisson of Copiah-Lincoln and a second round 6-2, 6-2 decision against Meridian's Amelia Anding before having the season end to 2nd seed, 24th ranked and eventual national champion Akari Tomoyose of Cowley.

Also making quarterfinals in singles was No. 5 Vasilis and No. 6 Tosetto each fabricating 1-1 tournaments with their victories coming in the second round following first round byes. Both would fall to seeded opponents in the Quarterfinals with Vasilis losing 6-2, 6-3 to fifth seeded Ai Katsua of St. Petersburg and Tosetto dropping 6-3, 6-0 results to eventual national champion and second seeded Adeola Greatorex of Hillsborough.

In the No. 2 and No. 3 slots, both Mrvaljevic and Pulido each dominated their first rounds with 6-1, 6-1 and 6-0, 6-0 scores respectfully, before having their tournament runs end in the second round. Mrvaljevic's loss came at the hands of second seeded Paula Cabrer of Hillsborough in three sets 5-7, 6-2, 6-0 while Pulido fell to seventh seeded Sanja Djurdjevic of Wetherford 6-2, 6-4.

Complete Barton Results
Singles #1 – Luciana Braga (5th Seed)
1st Rd: defeated Natalie Esparza (Paradise Valley) 6-0, 6-1
2nd Rd: defeated Emma Petton (Seward County) 6-4, 6-2
Quarterfinals: defeated 4th seeded Isabela Mercante (St. Petersburg College) 6-3, 7-6(1)
Semifinals: lost to top-seeded Yerkezhan Arystanbekova (Cowley) 6-1, 6-0

Singles #2 – Andjela Mrvaljevic
1st Rd: defeated Valeria Vargas Gilli (Mercer County) 6-1, 6-1
2nd Rd: lost to 2nd seeded Paula Cabrer Pericas (Hillsborough) 5-7, 6-2, 6-0

Singles #3 – Andrea Pulido
1st Rd: defeated Madison Hubbs (Sauk Valley) 6-0, 6-0
2nd Rd: lost to 7th seeded Sanja Djurdjevic (Weatherford) 6-2, 6-4

Singles #4 – Carmen Lyons (7th Seed)
1st Rd: defeated Sophie Sisson (Copiah-Lincoln) 6-2, 6-0
2nd Rd: defeated Amelia Anding (Meridian) 6-2, 6-2
Quarterfinals: lost to 2nd seeded Akari Tomoyose (Cowley) 6-2, 6-2

Singles #5 – Ana Vasilis (4th Seed)
1st Rd: Bye
2nd Rd: defeated Lynn Angulo-Segu (Mesa) 6-0, 6-4
Quarterfinals: lost to 5th seeded Ai Katsua (St. Petersburg) 6-2, 6-3

Singles #6 – Ana Alice Tosetto
1st Rd: Bye
2nd Rd: defeated Aulona Seferi (Lewis & Clark) 6-0, 6-0
Quarterfinals: lost to top-seeded Adeola Greatorex (Hillsborough) 6-0, 6-3

Doubles #1 – Luciana Braga & Carmen Lyons
1st Rd: defeated Serena Alvarado/Maeva Chambon (USC Sumter) 6-0, 7-5
2nd Rd: lost to 6th seeded Polya Nikolova/Emma Petton (Seward County) 6-3, 6-3

Doubles #2 – Andjela Mrvaljevic & Andrea Pulido
1st Rd: lost to Amelia Anding/Cheludo Monnayoo (Meridian) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
Consolation 1st Rd: Bye
Consolation 2nd Rd: Bye
Consolation Quarterfinals: defeated Alla Antonyan/Morgan Keefe (Lewis & Clark) 8-3
Consolation Semifinals: defeated Ally Everett /Sophie Sisson (Copiah-Lincoln) 8-6
Consolation Finals: defeated Mattie Sanders/Graceann Wade (Northwest Mississippi) 8-2

Doubles #3 – Ana Alice Tosetto & Ana Vasilis (6th Seed)
1st Rd: Bye
2nd Rd: lost to Otoha Mogi/Lara Torres (Seward County) 6-3, 6-1
Consolation 2nd Rd: defeated Jessica Buker/Makenna Swasey (Mercer County) 8-0
Consolation Quarterfinals: defeated Alivia Adams/Guadalupe Martinez (McHenry County) 8-1
Consolation Semifinals: defeated Kirsten Nielson/Taylor Wasson (Mesa) 8-1
Consolation Finals: defeated Mikenzy Dubrow/Lauren Sullivan (Mississippi Gulf Coast) 8-3