October 13-14, 2006
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Bluffton University women's tennis team put a scare into second-seeded Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in the opening round of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships before the Engineers escaped with a 5-4 victory on their way to a second place finish behind HCAC team champion Manchester College.
Bluffton senior Jenna Liechty (Goshen, Ind./Bethany Christian) ran into a buzzsaw in the final HCAC tournament of her stellar career. She was pitted against freshman Sam Danesis who breezed her way to a perfect 16-0 mark in the regular season and 6-0 record in the conference tourney. Liechty went down, 6-0, 6-0 in singles action and 8-0 at first doubles where she teamed with freshman Courtney Hodson (Washington Court House/Washington Sr.). Hodson dominated her match at third singles, winning 6-1 and 6-2.
Senior Lisa Cherry (Waterville/Anthony Wayne) also played in her final collegiate tournament as a Beaver. Cherry fell, 0-6, 6-4 and 6-4 at fourth singles and 8-3 at third doubles with teammate Devra Doan (Wooster/Central Christian).
The second doubles tandem of Chelsey Wenger (Bellefontaine/Bellefontaine) and Rachel Huckaba (Perrysburg/Perrysburg) picked up the lone doubles victory for the Beavers, 8-6. Huckaba was victorious at no. 5 singles, 6-3, 2-6 and 6-3 while Wenger fell to Julie Hopkins by scores of 6-1, 6-2 at second singles.
Freshman Jenna Kauffman (Wooster/Central Christian) gave the Beavers a split in singles action with her 7-6, 6-4 win at no. 6 singles.
With the loss, the Beavers were eliminated from the winners' bracket of the HCAC tournament which sends its victor to the NCAA Tournament. Manchester's 5-2 win over Rose-Hulman gave it the automatic bid from the Heartland Conference.
Singles
No. 1 Sam Danesis (R) def. Jenna Liechty (B) 6-0, 6-0
No. 2 Julie Hopkins (R) def. Chelsey Wenger (B) 6-1, 6-2
No. 3 Courtney Hodson (B) def. Mandy Grantz (R) 6-1, 6-2
No. 4 Katy Zawadski (R) def. Lisa Cherry (B) 0-6, 6-4, 6-4
No. 5 Rachel Huckaba (B) def. Betsy Marschand (R) 6-3, 2-6, 6-3
No. 6 Jenna Kauffman (B) def. Maritza Gonzalez (R) 7-6 (4), 6-4
Doubles
No. 1 Danesis/Hopkins (R) def. Liechty/Hodson (B) 8-0
No. 2 Wenger/Huckaba (B) def. Zawadawski/Marschand(R) 8-6
No. 3 Victoria Lee/Grantz (R) def. Devra Doan/Cherry (B) 8-3
Singles
No.1 Emily Meyer (D) def. Jenna Liechty (B) 8-1
No. 2 Chelsey Wenger (B) def. Amanda Auzins (D) 8-3
No. 3 Courtney Hodson (B) def. Laurel Smith (D) 8-0
No. 4 Lisa Cherry (B) def. Natalie Carey (D) 8-6
No. 5 Jessica Gullette (D) def. Rachel Huckaba (B) 9-7
No. 6 Jenna Kauffman (B) def. Casie Burckhart (D) 8-6
Doubles
No. 1 Meyer/Auzins (D) def. Liechty/Hodson (B) 9-7
No. 2 Vanessa Vendetta/Smith (D) def. Wenger/Huckaba (B) 8-5
No. 3 Devra Doan/Cherry (B) def. Gullette/Burckhart (D) 8-6
Singles
No. 1 Kerry Lennartz (A) def. Jenna Liechty (B) 9-7
No. 2 Rachel Koontz (A) def. Chelsey Wenger (B) 8-2
No. 3 Courtney Hodson (B) def. Rachel Makin (A) 8-5
No. 4 Lisa Cherry (B) def. Laura Jay (A) 8-5
No. 5 Mandy Hackney (A) def. Rachel Huckaba (B) 8-6
No. 6 Kay Worden (A) def. Jenna Kauffman (B) 8-3
Doubles
No. 1 Liechty/Hodson (B) vs. Makin/Koontz (A) - DNF
No. 2 Lennartz/Hackney (A) def. Wenger/Huckaba (B) 8-2
No. 3 Jessica Rigby/Dani Neal (A) def. Devra Doan/Cherry (B) 8-1
