The BG rackets caught fire this weekend at the Wolverine Invitational as the Falcons competed in the three-day, seven-team event in Ann Arbor.
After losing the opening match, sophomore Ashley Jakupcin suddenly found her stroke with three straight victories and defeated Western Michigan’s Carrie Jeanmaire, to win the back-draw of the Blue Flight, 6-2, 6-3. Head coach Penny Dean said Jakupcin has moved her game up a notch and her matches show the results.
“Ashley just hit dynamite shots to keep winning points,” Dean said. “She lost twice to (Jeanmaire) last year and never beat her, so that was a big win.”
Jakupcin’s teammate, junior Andrea Meister also reeled off three straight wins but lost in the finals of the front-draw to Marquette’s Callan Smith in the Wolverine Flight. Dean said she is proud of Meister and the way she was able to reach the finals of the front- draw.
“Since we’ve been going to this invitational, she’s our first player to be in the finals of a front-draw,” Dean said. “She really found her game and played extremely well.”
Senior Cameron Benjamin, also in the Wolverine Flight, finished in third place in the front-draw with a victory over Xavier’s Annie Diedalis, 6-0, 6-2.
Both Falcon freshman Jenna Nussbaum and Andrea Volley also finished strong, both advancing to the back-draw finals of the Wolverine and Maize flights respectively. However, Nussbaum lost to Elisabeth Dokter from Marquette in the third set with a score of 10-6; while Western Michigan’s Pryanka Parekh defeated Volley, also in the third set with a 14-12 score.
In doubles competition, the team of senior Susie Schoenberger and junior Heidi Romer won the back-draw consolation final 9-7, while the duo of Meister and Nussbaum lost in the front-draw consolation final.
Dean said overall everyone improved their game and played “phenomenal” at the Wolverine Invitational, especially in singles matches.
“I just think we stepped it up a notch from the weekend before,” Dean said. “I’m pleasantly surprised that everyone had such good matches. We just built on each other’s energy and it snowballed in a good direction.”
Along with Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Marquette, Michigan State, Xavier, Western Michigan and the host Michigan Wolverines competed in the Wolverine Invitational. Dean said her Falcons will face every one of these teams starting in January when the dual-matches begin, which adds an intimidation factor.
“I think this will help our confidence,” Dean said. “We already know we can beat them in the fall, and we can do it again.”
Dean said even though Western Michigan was the toughest opponent the Falcons played at the Wolverine Invitational, her team is beginning to believe they can beat them which hasn’t happened in the past.
“I really wish the MAC season started next week. But then again if we’re playing this well now, we need to build on that and get even better,” Dean said.
The Falcons host Wayne State in their first dual-match of the season on Thursday at 3:00 p.m.
