AUM’s Verweij earns consolation singles crown at ITA South Regional Championships

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LAKELAND, Fla. (aumathletics.com) —- Senior Iris Verweij captured the singles championship of the consolation draw and teamed with junior Alejandra Gil to win the doubles consolation tournament at the ITA South Regional Championships, hosted by Florida Southern College last weekend.

Verweij finished the week 5-1 in singles play, highlighted by a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Florida Tech’s Alahna Reto in the consolation championship. Verweij rolled through the consolation draw, picking up straight-set victories against Nova Southeastern’s Isabella Lowrey, Eckerd’s Gabriella Hartman and Florida Southern’s Magda Stepnick. In the semifinals, Verweij dropped the first set against Barry’s Judith Bohnenkamp, before leading in the second set, 2-1, before Bohnenkamp retired. In the main draw, Verweij was defeated by FSC’s Sasha Nionova, 6-1, 6-1.

Gil opened the main singles draw with a convincing 6-0, 6-1 win against Palm Beach Atlantic’s Florencia Roncatti, before falling to Stephanie Stemmer of Lynn 6-4, 6-4.

Senior Kelly Southwood won a pair of main-draw matches, rallying from first-set defeats in each. Southwood opened play with a 6-7, 7-5, 10-4 victory against Rollin’s Carlye Goldman. In her second match, she defeated West Florida’s Paula Lopez 5-7, 6-3, 11-9, before falling to eventual tournament champion Diana Bogoli of Lynn, 6-2, 6-1.

Senior Paula Diaz slipped in both of her singles matches, falling to Sabrina Schmidt of Valdosta State in the main draw and Florida Tech’s Maria Escude in the consolation draw.

In the main doubles draw, Verweij and Gil were upset in their first match by the Florida Southern tandem of Nionova and Lorena Rionda, 8-4. However, in the consolation draw the AUM duo picked up four victories, including a walkover win in the championship against PBA’s Maja Jovic and Michala Burns. Verweij and Gil also earned an 8-4 win against Eckerd’s Emily Fredrik and Joyce Fields, and an 8-1 victory against Rollin’s Marie Debryun and Fabiana Vitanza in the semifinals.

Also in the doubles main draw, Southwood and fellow senior Anna Rudolfova collected an 8-4 win against Florida Tech’s Meritt Rabson and Caroline Walter, before falling to Florida Southern’s team of Selin Devrimci and Linnea Skymberg.

As a team, the Warhawks posted an 8-4 singles record and a 5-2 mark in doubles play. The ITA Regional Championship was the lone fall tournament for AUM.