WTEN | Gaels Claim Three Titles At Cal Nike Invitational
9/29/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
BERKELEY, Calif. -- A strong start to the 2014 season got even better for the Saint Mary's women's team Sunday as Kareena Manji won the ITA Gold singles title and two Gaels doubles teams earned championship wins of their own at the Cal Nike Invitational.
After two days of very strong results, the Gaels had a chance on day three to turn their good play into a little hardware. Among those with the chance to make a good first impression was Manji, who in her first collegiate tournament won her first three matches to reach Sunday morning's semifinal. Facing No. 5 seed Layla Sanders of UC Davis, Manji cruised to a 6-1, 6-4 victory and kept her drive for a title alive.
The win over Sanders moved Manji on to the afternoon final against Cal's Cecilia Estlander and the freshman from Thousand Oaks, Calif. needed every bit of energy to win the first set 7-6 (7-5 in the tie-breaker) and gain the upper hand. Manji wouldn't need extra time in the second, winning the set 6-4 to claim her first collegiate championship.
Saint Mary's began play Sunday with one title already in the bag. The doubles team of Jana McCord and Parminder Kaur won a marathon semifinal match on Saturday to advance to the ITA Gold final, and as a result the pair was scheduled to face BYU's Nicolette Tran and Savannah Ware in the final. Because BYU does not play on Sundays, McCord and Kaur earned the victory by default and were named champions.
The Gaels weren't done with just one doubles title. Catherine Leduc and Emma Critser punched their ticket to Sunday's ITA White final with a straight-sets victory on Saturday and that momentum carried over as the SMC duo defeated Sacramento State's Andie Mouzes and Saskia Angerer 8-5 to win the championship. It is the second Cal Nike title in as many years for Leduc, who won the ITA White singles crown last year. For the freshman Critser, the win is her first collegiate title.
Even without championship runs, Saint Mary's got good play from nearly everyone in the lineup during its three days in Berkeley. Danielle Flores earned a win over No. 53-ranked Sophie Watts of Fresno State on Saturday, Leduc reached the ITA Blue quarterfinals, McCord won three straight after an opening-round loss and Kaur scored a win in the first round of consolations.
Saint Mary's returns return to action on Oct. 10 when it travels to Stanford to compete in the ITA Northwest Regional. Saint Mary's lone fall home appearance takes place Oct. 24-26 when the Gaels host their annual Saint Mary's Fall Invitational at Korth Tennis Complex.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
SB | Odhi Vasquez and Hannah Ferguson Highlights vs. Pacific, 3-27-26
Monday, March 30
BSB | Saint Mary's at Portland Highlights, 3-29-26
Sunday, March 29
SB | Saint Mary's vs. Pacific Highlights, 3-29-26
Sunday, March 29
BSB | Saint Mary's at Portland Highlights, 3-28-26
Saturday, March 28
