Sept. 23, 2001

The women's tennis team traveled to Lewisburg, Pa. this weekend, Sept. 22 and 23, for the Bucknell Invitational tournament where they received several impressive Wildcat victories. Four different Villanova players made their way into the semi-final rounds in their respective flight brackets led by sophomores Kelly McAndrew (Barrington, R.I./Barrington) and Jessie Rybacki (Salisbury, Md./Wicomico).

In the Flight B division, Rybacki won her first two rounds of matches on Saturday afternoon defeating Pilar Glodzick of St. Joseph's, 6-2, 6-2, and Georgetown's Liora Gelblum, 6-3 and 7-5. McAndrew competed in the Flight C division where she also gained a semi-final appearance and ended the weekend at 3-1.

Other Wildcats making it into the semi-final rounds of their respective brackets was junior Jen Zick (Colts Neck, N.J./St. John Vianney) and senior Liz Farrell (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley). Farrell was victorious in her first two matches on the afternoon before being defeated by eventual champion Hayle Hughes of Pittsburgh, 6-1, 6-3. Zick also won her first and second round matches before losing to Georgetown's Lara Madonia. Farrell and Zick both ended their weekend with an identical 2-1 record.

In other Villanova action, Ashley Young (Easton, Pa./Notre Dame) competed at second singles and took home a 2-1 record while sophomore Erica Walter (Mount Laurel, N.J./Bishop Eustace Prep) matched that record with two straight victories to open weekend play. After losing her first match of the tournament, freshman Courtney Flezzani (Pfafftown, N.C./R.J. Reynolds) came back to win her next three improving her overall season record to 6-1. Morgan Flezzani (Pfafftown, N.C./R.J. Reynolds) and Julie Darne (Bridel, Luxembourg/Bradenton Acad.) rounded out play for the Wildcats with 1-2 and 0-3 respective records.

In doubles action, Darne and McAndrew, the top doubles team for the 'Cats, went an overall 2-1 on the weekend defeating players from St. Joseph's and Loyola. Young and Rybacki teamed up in Flight B doubles recording an identical 2-1 record for their play on both days. In the final bracket, Zick and Courtney Flezzani won their opening match of doubles action defeating Georgetown's Meredith Bumpass and Allison Johnson, 8-3, but dropped their semi-final match to Pittsburgh, 8-6.

The Wildcats will return to action this Thursday, Sept. 27, when they travel to Easton, Pa. to take on the Lafayette College Leopards at 3:00 P.M.