Both the Utah women’s and men’s tennis teams have bad memories of a year ago. The women’s stem from a series of injuries that could overwhelm a hospital, while the men’s were a result of a disappointing finish to a mediocre season, when so much potential for success existed.
This past weekend, both teams started the journey back to respectability and hopefulness.
The women hosted the University of Utah Invitational Oct. 4 to 7, which consisted of the Utes, Weber State, Utah State and Southern Utah.
Weber dominated the competition by winning both singles and doubles competitions. Wildcats Therina Steenkamp and Dana Delaney made it to the finals of the singles competition and also teamed to win the doubles competition.
The Utes still competed well in singles and doubles play, with Irini Kotoglou, Cassie Kasteler Linn Ronnberg, Ellen Svennson and Sheri Esrock leading the way.
In singles play, Esrock, Ronnberg and Kasteler all reached the quarterfinals, though only Esrock won and advanced.
Esrock?s tournament then ended in the semifinals when she lost to Delaney in three sets.
In doubles play, the Utes had three teams compete, and all three reached the quarterfinals, with two of them moving on to the semis.
Kasteler and Svennson were ousted in the semis by Weber’s SteenKamp and Delaney, while Ronnberg and Kotoglou won their semis match against SUU?s duo of Lowe and Pollock.
The Utes then fell to Weber’s team 8-5 in the final, although they had jumped out to a 3-1 lead.
Meanwhile, in the men?s tourney at the BYU Invitational, Utah?s David Mercier reached the singles finals only to be defeated by BYU?s Carlos Lazano.
The women?s team will now compete at the BYU Invitational on Oct. 11 to 13.