Evans Advances to Championship in Drake Invitational

Des Moines, Iowa - Stephanie Evans, a true freshman on the Nebraska women's tennis team, advanced to the finals of the "A" Flight Singles bracket on Saturday at the Drake Invitational in Des Moines, Iowa. Junior Marianne Cicmanec also advanced to the "B" Flight Consolation Singles championship.

After the Huskers placed four players in the the quarterfinals of the "A" Flight Singles bracket on Friday, two advanced to the semifinals on Saturday. Junior Ashley Finnegan won her match with an upset over top-seeded Meghana Paritala of Northern Iowa and Evans beat Kaitlyn Ritchie of Missouri. Freshmen Abby Buxton and Amber Chandronnait were knocked out of the tournament after they lost their quarterfinal matches.

Finnegan faced Mallory Weber of Missouri in the semifinals, where she lost in two sets. Evans, facing Veronika Leszayova of Drake, prevailed in straight sets to advance to the finals, where she will face Weber.

Cicmanec, playing in the "B" Flight Consolation Singles bracket, beat Daria Zawisiak of Drake in straight sets in the quarterfinal and was victorious over Northern Iowa's Samantha Schnobel, again in straight sets, in the semifinal. She will face Sarah Plowman of Drake in the finals tomorrow.

In the Doubles Draw, the Husker team of Chandronnait and Finnegan was knocked out in the semifinals by Leszayova and Irina Kalashnikova of Drake. In the Doubles Consolation Draw, the duo of Evans and Buxton won a close match over Iowa State's Chrissy Derouin and Reka Kelemen to advance to the finals.

Evans has a chance to take home two titles tomorrow, in the "A" Flight Singles championship and in the Doubles Consolation Draw championship. Cicmanec will have a chance to give the Huskers three titles if she can come up victorious in her "B" Flight Consolation Singles championship.

Results
"A" FLIGHT SINGLES
Quarterfinals
Ashley Finnegan (NU) def. Meghana Paritala (Northern Iowa), 6-3, 7-5
Mallory Weber (Missouri) def. Amber Chandronnait (NU), 6-4, 6-3
Stephanie Evans (NU) def. Kaitlyn Ritchie (Missouri), 6-3, 6-3
Veronika Leszayova (Drake) def. Abby Buxton (NU), 6-1, 6-3

Semifinals
Mallory Weber (Missouri) def. Ashley Finnegan (NU), 6-4, 6-0
Stephanie Evans (NU) def. Veronika Leszayova (Drake), 6-1, 6-3

"B" FLIGHT CONSOLATION SINGLES
Quarterfinals
Marianne Cicmanec (NU) def. Daria Zawisiak (Drake), 6-4, 6-1

Semifinals
Marianne Cicmanec (NU) def. Samantha Schnobel (Northern Iowa), 6-0, 6-4

DOUBLES DRAW
Semifinals
Leszayova/Kalashnikova (Drake) def. Finnegan/Chandronnait (NU), 8-4

DOUBLES CONSOLATION DRAW
Semifinals
Evans/Buxton (NU) def. Derouin/Kelemen (Iowa State), 9-8 (7-5)

Tomorrow's Matches
"A" FLIGHT SINGLES
Finals
Stephanie Evans (NU) vs. Mallory Weber (Missouri)

"B" FLIGHT CONSOLATION SINGLES
Finals
Marianne Cicmanec (NU) vs. Sarah Plowman (Drake)

DOUBLES CONSOLATION DRAW
Finals
Evans/Buxton (NU) vs. Wagner/Svelic (Missouri)