The University of Redlands women's tennis team gained solid experience at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) West Regional Championships in Claremont over the weekend. In Associate Head Coach Steve Marshburn's debut, the Bulldogs gained two bracket-winners and another finalist in a fine showing.
First-year Kendall Bolock (Yucaipa, CA) made the most of her inaugural collegiate competition by going undefeated through the main singles draw of Flight B to capture the championship. Seeded fifth, she earned a 7-5, 6-3 win over Aliya Allyn of Chapman University before cruising by Kallysta Lopez of Whittier College, 6-0, 6-0. She knocked off top-seeded Jenna McDonald of Colorado College, 6-3, 6-0, to advance to the final. There, she put together a 6-3, 2-6, 10-6 effort to push past Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges' Lauren Yamagami.
Junior Karen Kobayashi (Sappora, Japan), and first-years Olivia Rockwood (Park City, UT) and Gabby Rockwood (Park City, UT) each earned one or more singles victory as well.
In doubles action, O. Rockwood and sophomore Halle Martinucci (Burlingame, CA) prevailed in the consolation bracket in an all-Bulldog final. As the fifth-seed, the duo cruised by counterparts from Cal Lutheran (8-2) and Whittier College (8-1) before defeating the Redlands tandem of junior Lexi Lehman (Scottsdale, AZ) and G. Rockwood for a spot in the final. There, O. Rockwood and Martinucci earned an 8-1 victory over sophomore Mia Fitzgerald (Hanalei, HI) and Kobayashi. Fitzgerald and Kobayashi made their way to the championship match by defeating foes from Occidental College (8-5 and 8-0) and Chapman (wd).
Redlands resumes action in the spring when it hosts the Alumnae Match on Saturday, January 25, at 9 a.m. The Bulldogs also head to Westmont College for an exhibition on Saturday, February 1, at 12 noon.
