CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The St. Edward's women's tennis team had to fight the rain, along with four NCAA Division I teams, as they participated in the 2013 Islander Open at the HEB Tennis Center this past weekend. St. Edward's, along with fellow DII participant Texas A&M-Kingsville, both took on DI teams Houston, Incarnate Word, Lamar, and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
 
Coming off a championship win in last week's Trinity Quad Tournament, BROOKE HUGHES looked for another good showing in this weekend's tournament. The sophomore dropped her opening match against Houston's Charlotte Phillips, but rallied with three-straight victories. She downed Lamar's Nadiya Kulibaba, 6-3, 6-2, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's Cassy Shaw, 6-3, 6-1, and Texas A&M-Kingsville's Marija Dimitrovoska in the consolation quarterfinals, 6-1, 6-2. Because of rain delays, the Hilltoppers were unable to stay until Sunday to allow Hughes a chance to advance.
 
Also in singles action, SASHA KHADZHYAN rebounded from losing her first match against Houston's Tina Rupert to win two-straight matches in the consolation bracket. She had victories over Lamar's Ana Spengler, 6-2, 6-3, and SEU teammate FLORENCE BOINON, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the consolation semifinals. Her tournament ended with a tough three-set loss to Lamar's Lapayeva, 5-7, 6-1, 10-6.

Boinon dropped her first match to Incarnate Word's Kelsey Robbin, 6-3, 6-7, 10-3, before rallying to defeat TAMU-Kingsville's Cervantes, 7-6, 6-2, and set up the meeting with Khadzhyan in the consolation quarterfinals.
 
RAFAELA HAEGELE won her opening match against TAMU-Kingsville's Ashton Garcia, 6-1, 6-2 before bowing out of the tourney with a 7-5, 6-1 loss to TAMU-Corpus Christi's Chelsea Horan. SUMMER BIGGS had a huge win in her first contest against Lamar's Robyn Summers, 7-6, 7-6. However, she was knocked out of the tournament by eventual tournament runner-up Maider Martin of TAMU-Corpus Christi, 6-1, 6-1.
 
FRANCESCA CHAHER dropped her singles matches to Incarnate Word's Tasryn Stahl, 6-2, 6-2, and Lamar's Alicia Porte, 6-1, 6-0.
 
In doubles action, Boinon and Khadzhyan teamed up and defeated Incarnate Word's Sarah Savedra and Jennifer Bentancourt, 8-5, before falling in the semifinals to TAMU-CC's Martin and Stefanie Nicolae, 9-8, in a tiebreaker.  Chaher and Haegele also competed in doubles dropping a first round match to Houston's Rupert and Rocio Fernandez, 8-2.
 
St. Edward's Head Coach Kendall Brooks commented about her team's play: "I was really proud of our girls this weekend. We matched up well with a lot of tough competition. We continue to get better each time we compete, which makes me really excited about this upcoming weekend and ITA Tournament. I think Sasha and Summer had breakthrough tournaments and played some of the best tennis I have seen from them so far."
 
St. Edward's will be back in action Friday when they travel to participate in the 2013 ITA South Central Regional Tournament. The two-day tournament will be hosted by Midwestern State in Wichita Falls, Texas at the MSU Tennis Center. Winners of the singles and doubles draws will advance to the 2013 ITA Small College Championships in Miami Shores, Fla., held Oct. 10-13.
 
Singles
r32 SUMMER BIGGS (St. Edward's) def. Robyn Summers (Lamar) 7-6, 7-6
r16 Maider Martin (TAMU-Corpus Christi) def. SUMMER BIGGS (St. Edward's) 6-1, 6-1
r32 Kelsey Robbin (Incarnate Word) def. FLORENCE BOINON (St. Edward's) 6-3, 6-7, 10-3
c16 FLORENCE BOINON (St. Edward's) def. T. Cervantes (TAMU-Kingsville) 7-6, 6-2
cqf SASHA KHADZHYAN (St. Edward's) def. FLORENCE BOINON (St. Edward's) 6-3, 6-2
r32 Tina Rupert (Houston) def. SASHA KHADZHYAN (St. Edward's) 6-2, 7-5
c16 SASHA KHADZHYAN (St. Edward's) def. Ana Spengler (Lamar) 6-2, 6-3
csf K. Lapayeva (Lamar) def. SASHA KHADZHYAN (St. Edward's) 5-7, 6-1, 10-6
32 Charlotte Phillips (Houston) def. BROOKE HUGHES (St. Edward's) 6-4, 6-2
c16 BROOKE HUGHES (St. Edward's) def. Nadiya Kulibaba (Lamar) 6-3, 6-2
cqf BROOKE HUGHES (St. Edward's) def. Cassy Shaw (TAMU-Corpus Christi) 6-3, 6-1
csf BROOKE HUGHES (St. Edward's) def. Marija Dimitrovoska (TAMU-Kingsville) 6-1, 6-2
48 RAFAELA HAEGELE (St. Edward's) def. Ashton Garcia (TAMU-Kingsville) 6-0, 6-0
32 Chelsea Horan (TAMU-Corpus Christi) def. RAFAELA HAEGELE (St. Edward's) 7-5, 6-1
32 Tasryn Strahl (Incarnate Word) def. FRANCESCA CHAHER (St. Edward's) 6-2, 6-2
cqf Alicia Porte (Lamar) def. FRANCESCA CHAHER (St. Edward's) 6-1, 6-0
 
Doubles
r16 Rocio Fernandez/Tina Rupert (Houston) def. RAFAELA HAEGELE/FRANCESCA CHAHER (St. Edward's) 8-2
r16 FLORENCE BOINON/SASHA KHADZHYAN (St. Edward's) def. Sarah Savedra/Jennifer Bentancourt (Incarnate Word) 8-5
qf Stefania Nicolae/Maider Martin (TAMU-Corpus Christi) def. FLORENCE BOINON/SASHA KHADZHYAN (St. Edward's) 9-8

As a member of NCAA Division II and the Heartland Conference, St. Edward's University, has captured 49 conference titles, advanced to the NCAA Tournament 63 times and has produced 50 All-Americans and 45 Academic All-Americans since 1999. For more information on SEU Athletics, visit www.GoHilltoppers.com

St. Edward's University is recognized as one of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S. News & World Report, and by Forbes and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. Located in Austin, Texas, with a network of partner universities around the world, St. Edward's is a diverse community that offers undergraduate and graduate programs designed to inspire students with a global perspective. St. Edward's is a private, liberal arts, Catholic university in the Holy Cross tradition with more than 5,300 students.
 
For more information on St. Edward's University, visit http://www.stedwards.edu.