Photo via Scout Archives
The Bradley tennis team competed in their first tournament of the fall season this past weekend in Edwardsville, Illinois, at the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Fall Invite. After showing signs of rust in the opening day of play, the Braves rebounded well with several solid performances to cap off the tournament.
Day one was highlighted by the debut of freshman Sandra Maletin. Finishing 3-0 on the day, Maletin began her Bradley career with a 6-4, 6-4 victory in the Flight A singles quarterfinal. She then teamed with sophomore Natalia Barbery for doubles action where the duo picked up wins over Western Illinois and Eastern Illinois.
While Maletin remained poised during her collegiate debut, according to head coach Matt Tyler, some other members of the team struggled with opening-match jitters.
The first tournament is always a little tricky, working through some nerves and remembering
what it is like to be competing, Tyler said. While I think it was a good first outing, I think we will get a lot better in the next couple weeks.
On the second day of the tournament, the Braves played much better and were led by junior Malini Wijesinghes 3-0 record. Wijesinghe went 2-0 in singles to claim the Flight C Singles consolation championship. Wijesinghe also partnered with senior Alexa Brandt to win the Flight A Doubles consolation title.
Freshman Victoria Gonzalez also made her debut and went undefeated in singles action. Although Gonzalez struggled in doubles, Tyler said he is happy with how the freshman performed.
Victoria had an outstanding tournament, going undefeated in singles, Tyler said. She is
struggling a little bit in doubles, but overall, Im excited about what I saw.
The Braves finished with a combined 13-9 record at the tournament and will take the court next during the Bradley Invitational Sept. 22 to 24 at the Markin Tennis Courts.
