GAMBIER, Ohio – Centre women's tennis began its 2018-19 slate this weekend in Ohio, with several student-athletes competing at the Kenyon Fall Invitational. All told, the Colonels boasted a winning overall record against individuals from nationally-ranked teams.
 
A pair of doubles flight wins highlighted the two-day invite for Centre, as duos Emily Zelichenok and Caroline Stallings, and Zena Maddux and Caroline Lancaster each won their draws. 
 
Zelichenok and Stallings toppled Denison's Devin Gramley and Hannah Bradvica, 8-3, in Sundays final of the Flight C bracket. They won two matches Saturday, defeating WVSU's Hanna Kruhlova and Sydney Miller, 8-0, in the opening round before besting John Carroll's Megan Reese and Skye Harwood, 8-4, in the semifinals.
 
Maddux and the rookie Lancaster won by an 8-2 score in Sunday's Flight D doubles bracket over Elizabeth Schulz and Natalie Overby. They won 8-2 over Ohio Wesleyan's Ruthie Silberman and Rachel Forrest in Saturday's opener before beating Denison's Susan Biederstedt and Morg Arroyo in the semis.
 
Elsewhere in doubles, Neha Rao and Hannah Doherty won a Flight A match against Kenyon's Erika Oku and Maggie Sweeney, 8-5, before falling in the semis.
 
In the Flight B draw, Abigail Kent and Katharine Sherman defeated Denison's Megan Hickey and Alex Cash, 8-5, before being bounced from the bracket.
 
Zelichenok also paced Centre's showing in singles, making an appearance in Sunday's final of Flight F. She won both her matches Saturday, beginning with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over OWU's Sydney Simmons, and ending with a 6-1, 7-6 semifinal win against Denison's Gramley. Bradvica won Sunday's final, however, 6-4, 6-2.
 
Sherman represented Centre in Flight A, winning her first collegiate match by a 6-3, 6-3 score over Kenyon's Oku, who finished the 2017-18 season ranked in the Central Region's top 15. Sherman would fall in the semifinals to JCU's Lauren O'Malley, 6-2, 6-0.
 
In Flight B, Rao started the season strong with a 6-3, 6-2 win against Carnegie Mellon's Marina Selenica, but dropped a close three-set match to the bracket's eventual champ, WVSU's Kierstin Hensley.
 
Flight C saw Kent win Saturday's opener, 6-4, 6-4, against Denison's Cash. The Colonel senior was defeated in the semifinals by Carnegie's Alex Iordache in three sets, as Iordache went on to claim the bracket.
 
Stallings also won her opening singles match in Flight D, defeating Carnegie's Ola Wojciak in a marathon 7-6, 1-6, 10-7 victory. She was bested by Kenyon's Anna Winslow in the semifinals.
 
Although she fell in Saturday's first round, Doherty picked up a win in the Flight E back draw, 6-1, 6-2 over Denison's Charlotte Purnode.
 
In Flight G, Maddux won 6-2, 7-5 over OWU's Silberman in Saturday's first round before falling too JCU's Carlye Campagna in the second.
 
Lancaster likewise opened her year strong, blanking Forrest by a 6-0, 6-0 score before dropping a close three-set match to JCU's Cole in the semifinals.

Complete results and scores from the weekend can be found here. 
 
Centre returns to action next weekend in Atlanta for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Atlantic South Regionals Sept. 21-23.