BATON ROUGE, La. –
Dariana Prato's run to the second round of the Singles Main Draw highlighted Jacksonville State's trip to the ITA Fall Regionals over the weekend. The Gamecocks impressed and improved at the LSU Tennis Complex, scoring a total of four singles and two doubles wins against some of the top competition in the southeast.
"The event was a good experience for us," head coach
Michael Helms said. "I continue to learn more and more about this team. I feel like we took a few steps forward in some areas but unfortunately took a step back in a few as well. The give-and-take nature of this business can be cruel at times, but we all walked away excited to go back to work this next week."
Prato, a senior from San Antoniodel Táchira, Venezuela, qualified for the Singles Main Draw and opened action on Friday with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, victory over Samford's Alyssa Haydak. She then dropped a three-set heartbreaker the next day to Ludmila Kareisova of Ole Miss (6-4, 0-6, 1-6) to exit the event.
Several other Gamecocks opened regionals on Thursday as part of the Singles Qualifying bracket.
Zuzana Pavelekova and
Polina Ramenskaja tallied triumphs in the opening stage while
Irene Artigas and
Ella Tuomela fell in that round. Pavelekova and Ramenskaja suffered slim setbacks in the final act of Singles Qualifying on Friday morning, but the latter added a win in Consolation play on Saturday.
As for doubles action, the tandems of Pavelekova/Tuomela and Artigas/Prato knocked off opponents from Southern Miss and UL Monroe in Doubles Qualifying on Thursday. As fate would have it, Jax State's doubles teams bowed out the following day in Baton Rouge.
"When you play in an event where both mid-majors and Power 5 programs are represented, you're quickly reminded of how much more professional you need to become," Helms added. "The level of play may be a little different but the standard of our everyday should be the same. Thank you as well to LSU for hosting us. Their coaches and staff did an amazing job with the event."
Jacksonville State's women resume Fall action this weekend at the Georgia Southern Fall Shootout. That event in Statesboro, Ga., will take place Friday through Sunday. After their trip to the Peach State, the Gamecocks will round out the 2023 calendar year at the Southern Miss Golden Eagle Fall Invitational (Oct. 27-28) and the Wofford Invite (Nov. 10-12).
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Twitter (@JaxStateWTEN) and Instagram (@JaxStateWTEN) accounts.
