 Elmore, Rielley Qualify for ITF Event
Oct. 14, 2008
ST. LOUIS - The Saint Louis doubles team of sophomore Hailee Elmore (Springfield, Ill./Springfield) and freshman Maureen Rielley (Shawnee Mission, Kan./Bishop Miege) has qualified for the main draw at the Dwight Davis/Merrill Lynch Championships, a Futures Event on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Circuit. Elmore and Rielley will play their first match in the 16-team, single-elimination draw Wednesday, Oct. 15, on the Dwight Davis Tennis Center Stadium Court. The contest is the featured match of the day and will begin at 5:30 p.m. or following the completion of the previous match. The opponents are Brynn Boren of Laguna Niguel, Calif., ranked No. 40 nationally among high school seniors by Tennis Recruiting.net, and Noel Scott of Laurel, Md., the No. 21 prep sophomore in the nation. Admission is $10. The event features players from 13 countries including Russia's Vasilisa Bardina, who was ranked among the top 50 players in the world two years ago. Playing together for the first time in their Monday qualifying match against Aleah and Amanda Marrow, Elmore and Rielley trailed 4-1 in the opening set before rallying for a 7-5, 6-3 victory. "With midterm exams going on, it has been a challenging week for Hailee and Maureen," head coach Jonathan Zych said. "Qualifying for the main draw, especially considering they had not played as a team before, is a testament to their hard work, tenacity and mental toughness. They also got some help from our men's players, who took a break from their practice on a nearby court to come over and lend their support. "Dave Reinhart, one of our assistant coaches, has done an excellent job of preparing Hailee and Maureen," Zych added. "Now, instead of just settling for making the main draw, they are going to try to advance as far as they can."
The Saint Louis tennis program now boasts five players who have qualified for the main draw of an ITF event. Elmore and Rielley join former Billikens Lance Vodicka and Ikaika Jobe, who qualified in singles and doubles, and Amanda Hellberg, a singles qualifier. Vodicka is now an assistant coach for the Bills. In singles qualifying, senior Joe Becker (Frankfurt, German/Ziehen School) defeated her SLU teammate, sophomore Kasia Tomalak, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the opening round. After advancing to the third round with a walkover, Becker was just one victory away from earning a spot in the main draw but was defeated by Emily Gelber. Elmore was a 6-2, 6-1 first-round winner over Coral Morales before falling to second-seeded Amanda Marie Taylor. |
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