Lady Saints Fall Struggles Continue
Hopefully playing a tougher fall tournament schedule will turn into success for the Seward County Lady Saints in the spring, but for the time being, the gals in green have been taking their lumps and this weekend was no different as Seward went just 7-20 overall in the Northeastern State Tournament in Bixby, Oklahoma with only one player capturing more than one win in their respective bracket.
In the tournament's top singles draw, the Lady Saints sent both Mialiniaina Rakotondrazafy and Alba Payeras to the court. Payeras had a rough weekend, failing to win a game in four of her six sets played in route to an 0-3 finish. Rakotondrazafy fell short on both of her first two matches in straight sets, but was able to rebound for a 7-5, 6-1 win over Oral Roberts' CeCe Cornelius to end her weekend on a good note.
Two more Seward players were in the draw at #2 singles. Nthabi Mogopodi had Seward's top individual performance of the weekend, winning two of her three matches. Mogopodi downed Karla Tomaie of Northeastern State 6-1, 6-3 in her first match and followed that up with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Easton Parker of Northeastern State in her second match before being knocked off 6-0, 6-1 in her last outing of the weekend. Maminiaina Rakotondrazafy lost a pair of heartbreakers by nearly identical scores in the bracket. In her second match of the weekend she took the first set 6-4 against Valentina Gisbert of Oral Roberts, but fell 6-4 in the third and 10-8 in the tiebreak to drop the match. Her next match was dejavu all over again as she won the first 6-3 against Caroline Abbe of Oklahoma Baptist but dropped the next two sets 6-4, 10-8 to finish 1-2.
Tadi Mrewa and Critza Goslin each picked up one win in the #3 singles draw. Mrewa blanked Oral Roberts' Nika Munoz 6-0 in the first set of their match before grinding out a 7-5 win in the second to win the match. Goslin earned her victory over Noami Munitic of Oral Roberts, posting matching 6-2 scores on her to win in straight sets.
Doubles didn't go a whole lot better for the Lady Saints who sent three pairs into the fold. In the top flight, the Rakotondrazafy sisters played together, earning Seward's only win in the bracket by defeating Gisber/Puentas of Oral Roberts 8-6 in their second match together. In the #3 draw, Goslin and Mrewa finished 1-2, picking up their victory over Munoz/Munitic of Oral Roberts 8-4.
Overall the Lady Saints went 7-20 on the weekend to see their fall record drop to 14-46.
Seward will wrap up their fall slate with the New Mexico Military Institute Invitational October 2nd and 3rd in Roswell.