SWEET BRIAR, Va. – The Shenandoah University women's tennis team opened up its 2021-22 season this weekend with a No. 1 singles championship at the Battle of the Blue Ridge hosted by Sweet Briar College.
 
With a total of seven women playing in four different singles flights and two doubles flights, graduate transfer Natalia García Molina led the way by winning the top flight with three wins over players from Sweet Briar.
 
SINGLES WRAP UP
García Molina opened with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Maggie Moody from Piedmont before taking out the Vixens' Ana Patino 6-4, 7-6 in the quarterfinals.
 
Another SBC opponent, Allison Wandling, awaited in the semi-finals and Garcia Molina continued her march to the championship with an 8-2 win.
 
García Molina then completed her run with an 8-6 win over the Vixens Ruth de Souza to earn the title.
 
Jahveesha Combs also played in the top singles flight and dropped a 5-7, 6-3, 0-1 (6-10) decision to Piedmont's Abbey Grace Venham in the round of 16.
 
Ariella Stepleman and Allison Cherwien played in the No. 2 flight with both women falling in the round of 16 and the opening match of the consolation draw.
 
In the third flight, Lily Kimble and Kelly Hudak both lost their opening matches.
 
Jada Lewis wrapped up the singles matches with a straight set loss in the fourth flight round of 16.
 
DOUBLES WRAP UP
García Molina and Combs, as well as Kimble and Stepleman, teamed up to play in the No. 1 flight.
 
García Molina nearly earned a second championship as she and Combs advanced to the championship before falling 8-3 to de Souza and Wandling from Sweet Briar.
 
The duo defeated Piedmont's Alysssa McSpadden and Marion Sloyan, 8-3 in the round of 16 and Megan Kidd and Jill Lawrence from Methodist, also 8-3, in the quarterfinals. An 8-5 win over Lynchburg's Alissa Anderson and Christina Harris punched their ticket to the championship.
 
Kimble and Stepleman opened with an 8-4 victory over Alli Kogoy and Hannah Hersh from Brevard before losing to the eventual champions, 8-2.
 
Cherwien and Hudak played in the second flight and won one match before falling to the eventual flight winner. The duo defeated Tyler Perry and Dannie Evans from Piedmont, 8-6, in the quarterfinals. Sweet Briar's Mattu Kamara and Kate Kotany eliminated Cherwien and Hudak with an 8-2 semi-final round win.
 
UP NEXT
The women are back in action on Wednesday in a 3:30 non-league match at Southern Virginia.
 
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