Marshall University Athletics
Herd Tennis Completes Solid Weekend of Play
10/3/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Herd Tennis Completes Solid Weekend of Play
10/3/2004
Senior Danielle Hock was the Herd's winningest player on the weekend in singles and doubles play combined. Hock picked up a fifth place finish in singles in the White flight at the UK Fall Invitational. Photo by Matt Riley |
LEXINGTON, Ky. - After three days of competition against several other top-notch tennis squads, the Thundering Herd players proved they can matchup against just about anybody as it finished play in the University of Kentucky Fall Invitational.
With eight of the ten teams in the field in Lexington ranked in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association Top 75 last season, the Herd had its work cut out for it in the five, 16-player singles flights and five, eight-team doubles draw.
Marshall experienced ups and downs over the course of the weekend, but head coach John Mercer was pleased with the overall outcome of the weekend as the team continues its fall tuneup.
?I think it was a very successful weekend,? Mercer said. ?We accomplished a lot and are moving in a positive direction. We really improved in some areas and were able to point out areas that we need to improve on.?
In the third and final day of play, the Herd picked up wins from seniors Ashley Kroh (Louisville, Ky.) and Danielle Hock (Wiggin, England) and also from freshman Shannon Brown, (Overland Park, Kan.) . Kroh defeated Kelly Taylor of the University of Louisville, 6-3, 6-1, for 11th place in the top singles flight. Hock was a 6-3, 6-1 winner over Lindsay Bryan of Ohio State for 5th place in the white flight and Brown picked up a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 win for seventh place in the green flight over Allie Linden of Arkansas.
Overall for the tournament, a Marshall player or doubles combination knocked off someone from every team in the field except for the host Kentucky Wildcats.
?We had several very good wins over quality teams and that helps give people confidence,? Mercer said. ?On whole, it was good competition and we learned a lot about what direction we need to take, where we want to go and what we need to work on.?
The Herd will now get a few weeks to work on things in practice and prepare for the important East Regional Indoor Tournament in Philadelphia, Oct. 22-26 and the Georgia Tech Invitational, Nov. 5-7 in Atlanta.
Complete final results from the third day of the UK Fall Invitational will be posted upon completion of the tournament later Sunday night on the UK website, www.ukathletics.com.