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Smith Wins ITA Summer Circuit Event in Blacksburg
7/17/2015 4:55:00 PM | Women's Tennis
BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Rising junior Alyssa Smith put together a strong weekend of play at the Mid-Atlantic Region site of the 2015 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Summer Circuit, capturing the title over the weekend in Blacksburg, Va. Smith also competed in doubles, playing into the semifinal round of the competition.
Smith, the No. 5 seed in the tournament, opened play with a convincing 6-2, 6-0 win over Sydney Rider before downing Maria Storozheva in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1, to close out the first day of action. On the second day, while competing in the round of 16, Smith defeated No. 4 seed Raluca Mita, 6-0, 6-3. An upset over the top-seeded Cassie Mercer of Virginia, 7-5, 6-2, in the penultimate match of the competition earned Smith a spot in the final.
In the final, Smith battled back from an early deficit to defeat sixth-seeded Audrey Ann Blakely of Pitt, 6-7 (2), 6-3, 10-6. Although weather drove the match indoors with the tiebreak sitting at 2-1, Smith did not allow the venue change to affect her play as she successfully closed out the contest.
“It's a great way to get back in the mind set of playing matches, because they are different from practice,” Smith said. “With summer being so long, it's good to break it up and remind yourself that you're training to play matches. Summer can sometimes get a little long because you're gone for three to four months, especially if you're not coming back to school to take summer classes. It's a good way to refocus and give yourself a goal to train for a specific event.”
For the doubles competition, Smith paired with Brooke Stevens, an incoming freshman for Ole Miss. The two defeated Kathryn Hoch and Storozheva, 8-3, in the quarterfinal round. The pair was unable to maintain the momentum, however, as Smith and Stevens fell to Blakely and Callie Frey, 8-5, Sunday.
The ITA Summer Circuit first began in 1993, with nearly 30,000 men and women competing in the series over the past 21 years. The summer circuit provides college and junior student-athletes with an opportunity to compete in organized events, with nine regional circuits available around the United States.
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