WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The William and Mary women's tennis team will host the 20th annual Tribe Invitational this weekend on the College's campus. The 10-team
event will include singles and doubles draws of eight and be played a three
locations in Williamsburg, the Millie West Tennis Facility (located on the
Brooks Street behind William and Mary Hall), the Commons Tennis Courts (which
are adjacent to the Commons Dining Hall on Ukrop Way) and the
McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center (which is at 805 S. Henry Street next to the
Law School).
Joining the host Tribe at the three-day event will be Harvard, James Madison, Kansas, Marshall, Norfolk State, Old Dominion, Penn, Penn State and VCU. The first day of the event, Friday, Oct. 5, will begin at 10 a.m., while both Saturday, Oct. 6 and Sunday, Oct. 7, begin at 9 a.m. Friday's schedule will include one round of doubles followed by one round of singles. Saturday will consist of the final two rounds of doubles, beginning at approximately 9 a.m. and 10:15 a.m., before one round of singles starting at noon. Sunday will close out the event with the final round of singles at 9 a.m.
The event will include seven singles draws and three doubles flights. New for the 2012 Tribe Invitational, each flight is named after a former William and Mary All-American. The singles draws are named after Megan Moulton-Levy, Lauren Nikolaus, Cherie Dow, Julie Schiflet, Kristine Kurth, Margie Waters and Marion Gengler, while the doubles flights are named after Karen van der Merwe, Katrin Guenther and Michelle O. Below is a brief description of each of the Tribe All-Americans whom the flights are named for.
The Green and Gold will have eight singles players competing at the Tribe Invite to go along with four doubles teams. In the Karen van der Merwe Flight, senior Anik Cepeda and freshman Leeza Nemchinov will battle the Penn State duo of McCluskey and Whiteaway at 10 a.m. on court #1 at the Millie West Tennis Facility.
The Tribe will have two teams in the Katrin Guenther Flight as junior team of Maria Belaya and Sydney Smith face off with the Kansas pair of Cardona and Fournier in the Katrin Guenther Flight. The match is slated for a 10 a.m. start on court #3 at the Millie West Tennis Facility. Senior Marlen Mesgarzadeh and junior Hope Johnson will team and face the James Madison team of Pinchoff and Nguyen at 10 a.m. on court #2 at the Milie West Tennis Facility.
Senior Nina Vulovich and freshman Jackie Lee will team in the Michelle O Flight and face the Norfolk State team of Gutierrez and Kariuk at 10 a.m. on Friday. Vulovich and Lee's match is slated for court #4 at the Millie West Tennis Facility.
Belaya opens singles action in the Megan Moulton-Levy Flight against Marshall's Dana Oppinger at 11:30 a.m. The tilt will be play on court #1 at the Millie West Tennis Facility. In the Lauren Nikolaus Flight, Johnson meet Kansas' Maria Jose Cardona at 11:30 a.m. on court #2 at the Millie West Tennis Facility. Nemchinov will also compete in the Lauren Nikolaus flight facing Penn State's Devan McCluskey in a match that will not start before 1 p.m. on court #1 at the Millie West Tennis Facility.
Cepeda will be in the Cherie Dow Flight and take on Katherine Whiteaway of Penn State at 11:30 a.m. on court #3 at the Millie West Tennis Facility. In the Julie Shiflet Flight, Mesgarzadeh drew Harvard's Crystal Yen. The match will be played on court #2 at the Millie West Tennis Facility and will not begin before 1 p.m.
Vulovich and Smith will both compete in the Kristine Kurth Flight. Smith faces JMU's Katherine Bulling at 11:30 a.m., while Vulovich squares off with Kansas' Haley Fournier in a match that will not begin before 1 p.m. Both matches will be played at the Millie West Tennis Facility with Smith playing on court #4 and Vulovich competing on court #3.
Rounding out the Tribe's singles roster is Lee, who will take part in the Margie Waters Flight. The Green and Gold rookie will face Norfolk State's Laura Gutierrez in a match that will not begin before 1 p.m. on court #4 at the Millie West Tennis Facility.
Throughout each day of the Tribe Invitational, there will be live results posted on TribeAthletics.com.
Flights Named after the following Tribe All-Americans
Singles Draws
Megan Moulton-Levy
Currently playing on the WTA Tour and took part in both the U.S. Open and Wimbledon in 2012 ... Ranked as high as No. 87 in the world doubles rankings ... A six-time All-American ... Advanced to the national singles semifinals in 2006 and was the national doubles runner-up in 2007.
Lauren Nikolaus
A six-time All-American, who competed in the NCAA Singles Championships during each of her four years ... Holds the W&M record for all-time singles victories with 137... 2009 W&M Hall of Fame Inductee.
Cherie Dow
Named an All-American in 1982 ... Won the AIAW Division II Flight No. 1 National Singles Championship ... 2011 W&M Hall of Fame Inductee.
Julie Shiflet
An All-American in 1992, advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Singles Championship.
Kristine Kurth
Earned singles All-America honors in 1991 and finished the season ranked No. 16 nationally
Margie Waters
Received All-America honors in singles during both the 1981 and 1982 campaigns
Marion Gengler
A three-time All-American with singles honors in 1981 and 1982 to go with doubles in 1982.
Doubles Draws
Karen van der Merwe
A three-time All-American and two-time selection in doubles ... Advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Doubles Championship in 1993 ... Finished 1992 ranked No. 6 nationally in doubles ... 2012 W&M Hall of Fame Inductee.
Katrin Guenther
A two-time All-American in doubles ... Advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Doubles Championship in 1993.
Michelle O
One of W&M's winningest players in terms of singles and doubles ... Earned All-America honors in 1998, advancing to the semifinals of the NCAA Doubles Championship.
Joining the host Tribe at the three-day event will be Harvard, James Madison, Kansas, Marshall, Norfolk State, Old Dominion, Penn, Penn State and VCU. The first day of the event, Friday, Oct. 5, will begin at 10 a.m., while both Saturday, Oct. 6 and Sunday, Oct. 7, begin at 9 a.m. Friday's schedule will include one round of doubles followed by one round of singles. Saturday will consist of the final two rounds of doubles, beginning at approximately 9 a.m. and 10:15 a.m., before one round of singles starting at noon. Sunday will close out the event with the final round of singles at 9 a.m.
The event will include seven singles draws and three doubles flights. New for the 2012 Tribe Invitational, each flight is named after a former William and Mary All-American. The singles draws are named after Megan Moulton-Levy, Lauren Nikolaus, Cherie Dow, Julie Schiflet, Kristine Kurth, Margie Waters and Marion Gengler, while the doubles flights are named after Karen van der Merwe, Katrin Guenther and Michelle O. Below is a brief description of each of the Tribe All-Americans whom the flights are named for.
The Green and Gold will have eight singles players competing at the Tribe Invite to go along with four doubles teams. In the Karen van der Merwe Flight, senior Anik Cepeda and freshman Leeza Nemchinov will battle the Penn State duo of McCluskey and Whiteaway at 10 a.m. on court #1 at the Millie West Tennis Facility.
The Tribe will have two teams in the Katrin Guenther Flight as junior team of Maria Belaya and Sydney Smith face off with the Kansas pair of Cardona and Fournier in the Katrin Guenther Flight. The match is slated for a 10 a.m. start on court #3 at the Millie West Tennis Facility. Senior Marlen Mesgarzadeh and junior Hope Johnson will team and face the James Madison team of Pinchoff and Nguyen at 10 a.m. on court #2 at the Milie West Tennis Facility.
Senior Nina Vulovich and freshman Jackie Lee will team in the Michelle O Flight and face the Norfolk State team of Gutierrez and Kariuk at 10 a.m. on Friday. Vulovich and Lee's match is slated for court #4 at the Millie West Tennis Facility.
Belaya opens singles action in the Megan Moulton-Levy Flight against Marshall's Dana Oppinger at 11:30 a.m. The tilt will be play on court #1 at the Millie West Tennis Facility. In the Lauren Nikolaus Flight, Johnson meet Kansas' Maria Jose Cardona at 11:30 a.m. on court #2 at the Millie West Tennis Facility. Nemchinov will also compete in the Lauren Nikolaus flight facing Penn State's Devan McCluskey in a match that will not start before 1 p.m. on court #1 at the Millie West Tennis Facility.
Cepeda will be in the Cherie Dow Flight and take on Katherine Whiteaway of Penn State at 11:30 a.m. on court #3 at the Millie West Tennis Facility. In the Julie Shiflet Flight, Mesgarzadeh drew Harvard's Crystal Yen. The match will be played on court #2 at the Millie West Tennis Facility and will not begin before 1 p.m.
Vulovich and Smith will both compete in the Kristine Kurth Flight. Smith faces JMU's Katherine Bulling at 11:30 a.m., while Vulovich squares off with Kansas' Haley Fournier in a match that will not begin before 1 p.m. Both matches will be played at the Millie West Tennis Facility with Smith playing on court #4 and Vulovich competing on court #3.
Rounding out the Tribe's singles roster is Lee, who will take part in the Margie Waters Flight. The Green and Gold rookie will face Norfolk State's Laura Gutierrez in a match that will not begin before 1 p.m. on court #4 at the Millie West Tennis Facility.
Throughout each day of the Tribe Invitational, there will be live results posted on TribeAthletics.com.
Flights Named after the following Tribe All-Americans
Singles Draws
Megan Moulton-Levy
Currently playing on the WTA Tour and took part in both the U.S. Open and Wimbledon in 2012 ... Ranked as high as No. 87 in the world doubles rankings ... A six-time All-American ... Advanced to the national singles semifinals in 2006 and was the national doubles runner-up in 2007.
Lauren Nikolaus
A six-time All-American, who competed in the NCAA Singles Championships during each of her four years ... Holds the W&M record for all-time singles victories with 137... 2009 W&M Hall of Fame Inductee.
Cherie Dow
Named an All-American in 1982 ... Won the AIAW Division II Flight No. 1 National Singles Championship ... 2011 W&M Hall of Fame Inductee.
Julie Shiflet
An All-American in 1992, advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Singles Championship.
Kristine Kurth
Earned singles All-America honors in 1991 and finished the season ranked No. 16 nationally
Margie Waters
Received All-America honors in singles during both the 1981 and 1982 campaigns
Marion Gengler
A three-time All-American with singles honors in 1981 and 1982 to go with doubles in 1982.
Doubles Draws
Karen van der Merwe
A three-time All-American and two-time selection in doubles ... Advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Doubles Championship in 1993 ... Finished 1992 ranked No. 6 nationally in doubles ... 2012 W&M Hall of Fame Inductee.
Katrin Guenther
A two-time All-American in doubles ... Advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Doubles Championship in 1993.
Michelle O
One of W&M's winningest players in terms of singles and doubles ... Earned All-America honors in 1998, advancing to the semifinals of the NCAA Doubles Championship.
