Krebsbach (left) and Frank (right)

The Gustavus women’s tennis doubles team of Sam Frank and Sierra Krebsbach finished eighth in the doubles tournament at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Small  College Championships  which took place at the Copeland-Cox Tennis Center in Mobile, Alabama.

Frank and Krebsbach opened the tournament on Thursday with a loss to Paige Sumida and Whitney Waters of the University of Redlands in three sets by the score of 6-4, 2-6, and 6-10 in the superbreaker.  On Thursday evening, Frank and Krebsbach played consolation match against Anny Olbrich and Sallie Katter of Linfield and lost another tight match by the score of 4-6, 6-7 (3).  In the seventh place match, Frank and Krebsbach lost to #1 seed Kendra Higgins and Chrissy Hu of the University of Chicago by the score of 2-6, 3-6.

Despite the 0-3 record, Frank and Krebsbach played some good tennis against the top doubles teams in Division III and the duo earned ITA All-America honors as a result of qualifying for the ITA Small College Championships.

The ITA Small College Championship featured eight singles players and eight doubles teams who earned spots into the national event by winning their respective Wilson/ITA Regional Championships held throughout the country. All told, over 5,000 student-athletes competed in 64 regional tournaments to earn spots in the national event.

ITA Championship Website

The ITA Small College Championship features eight singles players and eight doubles teams who earned spots into the national event by winning their respective Wilson/ITA Regional Championships held throughout the country. All told, over 5,000 student-athletes competed in 64 regional tournaments to earn spots in the national event.

Link to tournament website

Sam Frank

Sierra Krebsbach

Gustavus tennis players Samantha Frank (Jr., Mahtomedi, Minn.) and Sierra Krebsbach (Sr., North Oaks, Minn.), who won the doubles title at the ITA Midwest Regional in late September are taking part in the ITA Small College Championships at the Copeland-Cox Tennis Center in Mobile, Alabama this Thursday through Sunday. Frank and Krebsbach are one of eight regional doubles champions that will play for the Division III National Doubles Title. Matches will begin on Thursday and the Gustavus duo will face Paige Sumida and Whitney Waters of the University of Redlands in the first round. You can follow the action through the ITA Small College Championships Website.

Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA)

Kathryn Schmidt of Carleton won the ITA Singles Title

Sierra Krebsbach and Sam Frank of Gustavus won the Doubles Title.

Top-seeded Kathryn Schmidt (So./Hopkins, Minn.) of Carleton College won the singles title and the duo of Samantha Frank and Sierra Krebsbach (Sr., North Oaks, Minn.) of Gustavus Adolphus College won the doubles title at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA)/Wilson Midwest Regional which was played at Gustavus this past weekend. The Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional at Gustavus featured the top small college tennis players from 19 schools in the states of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois. As champions of the Midwest Regional, Schmidt, Frank and Krebsbach now advance to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Small College Championships which will take place Oct. 15-18 at the Copeland-Cox Tennis Center in Mobile, Alabama.

In the singles draw, Schmidt posted a record of 6-0 on the weekend. On Sunday, she defeated Gustavus’ Ali O’Neal 6-0, 7-5 in the semifinals and then knocked off Gustavus’ Samantha Frank in the championship 6-4, 6-1. She did not drop a set in the tournament.

In the doubles draw, Frank and Krebsbach, the #2 seeds, posted a record of 4-0 on the weekend. They defeated Frances Leung and Bridget Doyle of Carleton 8-2 in the semifinals and then snuck past teammates Megan Gaard and Ali O’Neal in the championship match 8-5.

The ITA National Small College Championships began in 1986 and annually crowns men’s and women’s singles and doubles national champions in each of the ITA’s four small college divisions (NCAA Divisions II and III, NAIA and Junior/Community College). These championships are the only national tournaments for singles and doubles at the NCAA Division II and NAIA level, and the only tournaments that combine all levels of Junior/Community Colleges (NJCAA Divisions I-III, and California Community Colleges).

This is the eighth time in the last 10 years that Gustavus has hosted the ITA/Wilson Midwest Regional Tournament.

Tournament Website

ITA/Wilson Midwest Regional Final Day Results
Singles
Semifinals
Sam Frank, Gustavus defeated Sierra Krebsbach, Gustavus 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
Kathryn Schmidt, Carleton defeated Ali O’Neal, Gustavus 6-0, 7-5

Finals
Kathryn Schmidt, Carleton defeated Sam Frank, Gustavus 6-4, 6-1

Doubles
Semifinals
Megan Gaard/Ali O’Neal, Gustavus defeated Kathryn Schmidt/Erin Gudul, Carleton 8-6
Sam Frank/Sierra Krebsbach, Gustavus defeated Frances Leung and Bridget Doyle, Carleton 8-2

Finals
Sam Frank/Sierra Krebsbach, Gustavus defeated Megan Gaard/Ali O’Neal, Gustavus 8-5

Intercollegiate Tennis Association

Gustavus Adolphus College is hosting the Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional Championship at the Swanson Indoor Tennis Center and the Brown Outdoor Courts. The Women’s Division III Midwest Region Championships will take place Friday, September 25 through Sunday, September 27. Live stats will be available all weekend through the tournament website.

The Wilson/ITA Women’s Division III Championships at Gustavus will feature 19 of the top schools in the region. The singles and doubles champions from this weekend’s tournament advance to the Oct. 15-18 Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Small College Championships at the Copeland-Cox Tennis Center in Mobile, Alabama.

Eighty of the top singles and doubles players in the Midwest will take part in the tournament which will begin with singles matches on Friday morning at 9 am. Kathryn Schmidt of Carleton is the #1 seed in the singles draw. Other seeds include second seeded Kalla Schaefer of UW-Whitewater, third seeded Sierra Krebsbach of Gustavus, and fourth seeded Hannah Jensen of Coe. The doubles competition will begin on Friday immediately after the completion of the second round of singles play. Kathryn Schmidt and Erin Gudul of Carleton are the #1 seeded doubles team. Other seeds include the second seeded team of Sierra Krebsbach and Samantha Frank of Gustavus, the third seeded team of Michelle and Andrea Schupbach of Coe, and the fourth seeded team of Gina Klein and Hollis McPeek of Carthage. The Swanson Indoor Tennis Center, located on the west edge of the Gustavus campus, will serve as headquarters for the Wilson/ITA Midwest Region Championships, with matches taking place at Swanson and the adjacent Brown Outdoor Courts. You can follow live stats and find complete results for both the Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional and the Gustavus Invitational on the tournament website.

The ITA National Small College Championships began in 1986 and annually crowns men’s and women’s singles and doubles national champions in each of the ITA’s four small college divisions (NCAA Divisions II and III, NAIA and Junior/Community College). These championships are the only national tournaments for singles and doubles at the NCAA Division II and NAIA level, and the only tournaments that combine all levels of Junior/Community Colleges (NJCAA Divisions I-III, and California Community Colleges). Participants are determined through these Wilson/ITA Regional Championships, which serve as qualifying tournaments. The national champions from each division square off in the “Super Bowl” of Small College Tennis to determine the overall ITA National Small College Champions (who then earn berths into the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships, a Division I event, in November).

As the governing body of collegiate tennis, the ITA promotes both the athletic and academic achievements of the collegiate tennis community. The ITA, which was founded in 1956 and is based in Skillman, N.J., administers numerous regional and national championships, the ITA Collegiate Summer Circuit, presented by the USTA, and the ITA Rankings for men’s and women’s tennis at the NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior College levels. The ITA also has a comprehensive awards program for players and coaches to honor excellence in academics, leadership and sportsmanship. The official ITA website is www.itatennis.com.

Tournament Website.

The 13th-ranked Gustavus women’s tennis team saw its season come to an end with a 5-0 loss to top-ranked Amherst College in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Women’s Tennis Championships in Lawrenceville, Georgia. The NCAA Championship is being hosted by Oglethorpe University. Coach Jon Carlson and the Gusties wrapped up the season at 23-10 overall.

Gustavus got off to a slow start against Amherst losing all three doubles matches. Sam Frank and Sierra Krebsbach lost 8-2 at #1, Erica Dobson and Ali O’Neal lost 9-7 at #2, and Marianne Barau and Megan Gaard lost 8-5 at #3.

The Lord Jeffs tallied two straight set wins in singles to close out the match at 5-0. Carlissa King defeated Megan Gaard at #2 singles 6-4, 6-0, while Jill Wexler defeated Ali O’Neal at #3 singles 6-2, 6-4. The Gusties had dropped the first set at #1, #4, #5, and #6 singles when play was suspended.

Box Score

Gustavus Adolphus will face Amherst in the quarterfinal round of the 2009 NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Championships.

The Gustavus Adolphus College women’s tennis team will participate in the NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Championships Tuesday-Thursday, May 19-21 at the Collins Hill Athletic Club in Lawrenceville, Ga. Oglethorpe University is the host institution. Gustavus will face Amherst in a quarterfinal match at 1 pm (CDT), Tuesday, May 19.

The quarterfinal field for the NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Championships is composed of seven of the top ten teams in the most recent ITA Division III men’s tennis rankings. The field is led by top-ranked Amherst. Also included in the field is No. 2 Williams, No. 3 Emory, No. 4 University of Chicago, No. 6 Carnegie Mellon, No. 7 Pomona-Pitzer, No. 9 Denison, and No. 13 Gustavus Adolphus.

Team Tournament Schedule (all times listed are CDT)
Tuesday, May 19
8:00 a.m. Quarterfinal Match #1 – #3 Emory vs. #7 Pomona-Pitzer
8:00 a.m. Quarterfinal Match #2 – #2 Williams vs. #9 Denison
1:00 p.m. Quarterfinal Match #3 – #1 Amherst vs. #13 Gustavus Adolphus
1:00 p.m. Quarterfinal Match #4 – #4 Univ. of Chicago vs. #6 Carnegie Mellon

Wednesday, May 20
8:00 a.m. Semifinal Match #1 – Winner of match 1 vs. Winner of match 2
1:00 p.m. Semifinal Match #2 – Winner of match 3 vs. Winner of match 4

Thursday, May 21
8:00 a.m. Third-Place Match
12:00 p.m. National Championship Match

2009 NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Championships Website

The win extended Gustavus’s current winning streak to 11 matches. In those 11 matches, the Gusties have dominated doubles play posting a record of 32-1 during that stretch. In addition, Gustavus has posted an overall match record (including singles and doubles) of 79-7 in those 11 matches.

Complete Match Results
Gustavus Adolphus College 5, Wheaton College 0
May 09, 2009 at Swanson Tennis Center in St. Peter, Minn.

Singles Results
1. Sierra Krebsbach (GAC) vs. Jordan Hook (WHEAT) 2-6, 3-4, unfinished
2. Megan Gaard (GAC) vs. Elizabeth Worsowicz (WHEAT) 6-4, 2-6, unfinished
3. Ali O’Neal (GAC) def. Brittney Dunn (WHEAT) 6-3, 6-4
4. Sam Frank (GAC) vs. Kayli Edwards (WHEAT) 4-6, 4-5, unfinished
5. Marianne Barau (GAC) def. Lindsey Hallett (WHEAT) 6-2, 6-4
6. Erica Dobson (GAC) vs. Sara Federschmidt (WHEAT) 5-7, 3-3, unfinished

Doubles Results
1. Sierra Krebsbach/Sam Frank (GAC) def. Jordan Hook/Elizabeth Worsowicz (WHEAT) 8-6
2. Erica Dobson/Ali O’Neal (GAC) def. Brittney Dunn/Kayli Edwards (WHEAT) 8-2
3. Marianne Barau/Megan Gaard (GAC) def. Sara Federschmidt/Lindsey Hallett (WHEAT) 8-3

Match Notes
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (5,3)

NCAA Regional Tournament Web Site

Official NCAA Championships Web Site

2009 NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship

Krebsbach and Frank discuss strategy in their #1 doubles match.

Marianne Barau drives a backhand over the net in her #5 singles match.

Ali O’Neal gets set to hit a forehand return.

The Gustavus women’s tennis team claimed an impressive 5-0 win over St. Scholastica on Friday afternoon at the Swanson Tennis Center on the Gustavus campus. The #1 doubles team of Sierra Krebsbach and Sam Frank rallied from a 7-1 deficit to win 9-7 to give the Gusties a 3-0 lead after doubles play and the team then quickly closed out the match with singles wins by Marianne Barau at #5 and Erica Dobson at #6. Gustavus will play Wheaton on Saturday at noon for the regional title.

The Gusties got off to a quick start in doubles play as Erica Dobson and Ali O’Neal defeated Kelly Ross and Callee Conda 8-0 at the #2 position, and Marianne Barau and Megan Gaard defeated Natalie Urick and Paula Beckermann 8-4 at the #3 position. It appeared as though St. Scholastica was going to trim the lead to 2-1 as Katie Motley and Ploy Suthijindawong jumped out to a convincing 7-1 lead over Krebsbach and Frank, but the veteran Gustie duo battled back to win the next eight games and claim an important 9-7 win.

The 3-0 cushion gave the Gusties some breathing room in singles as they now only needed to win two of six singles matches to clinch the victory. The match, which was being played outdoors, was moved indoors shortly after singles play had started due to a light, steady rain. The lower half of the order quickly closed out the match as Marianne Barau defeated Angela Shields 6-0, 6-2 at #5 and Erica Dobson defeated Natalie Urick 6-3, 6-1 at #6.

Gustavus, which is the #1 seed will now face Wheaton, the #4 seed in the NCAA Regional Final on Saturday at noon at the Swanson Tennis Center. The winner will advance to the NCAA Team Finals, which will take place in Lawrenceville, Georgia on May 19-21.

Box Score

Tournament Web Site

Photo Gallery

2009 NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship

The Gustavus women’s tennis team has been selected to host one of eight NCAA Regional Tournaments this Thursday through Saturday. Play will begin with Edgewood (Wis.) (13-8) facing Wheaton (Ill.) (16-4) in one of two first round matches on Thursday, May 7. Luther (Iowa) (30-9) will face St. Scholastica (Minn.) (17-9) in the other first round match. On Friday, May 8, Gustavus (21-9) will play the winner of the Luther/St. Scholastica match in the second round. The other second round match has the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater (23-3) facing the winner of the Edgewood/Wheaton match. The winner’s of Friday’s matches will play on Saturday, May 9 for the opportunity to advance to the NCAA Team Championship which will be held May 19-21 at Collins Hill Athletic Club in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Times have not yet been determined for any of the matches this weekend.

Gustavus will be appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the 21st time, as well as making its 21st consecutive appearance. The Gusties won the NCAA Championship in 1990.

Tournament Schedule
Thursday, May 7
Noon – Edgewood versus Wheaton
3 p.m. – Luther versus St. Scholastica

Friday, May 8
9 a.m. – Wis.-Whitewater versus Edgewood/Wheaton
11:30 a.m. – Gustavus Adolphus versus Luther/St. Scholastica

Saturday, May 9
Noon – To Be Determined

NCAA Release

Championship Bracket