Sept. 24, 2016
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Competing in their first tournament as Commodores, Emma Kurtz, Christina Rosca and Emily Smith have advanced to play in flight championships at the Furman Fall Classic. Sunday’s championship play will begin at 8:00 am CT.
Kurtz and Rosca pulled out extremely close semifinal matches to advance to their first collegiate final. Smith, a transfer who appeared in the 2016 NCAA individual tournament, progresses to flight four finals after only giving up two games in her second set.
Rosca, who came to Vanderbilt ranked No. 1 in the state of New Jersey, earned her second SEC victory and first over instate rival Tennessee. Rosca downed the Vols’ senior veteran, Brittany Lindl, in a third set tiebreaker 6-3, 3-6, 7-6.
Atlanta’s Emma Kurtz held serve to muscle through a close first set, 7-5. Taking the second set 6-4, Kurtz looks to face her third-straight Wake Forest opponent, Joanna Zalewski.
Taking her semifinal match against Tennessee’s Ariadna Riley, 6-4, 6-2, Smith faces No. 4 UNC’s Rachel James-Baker Sunday morning.
Fernanda Contreras will begin the final day of competition vying for third place against FSU’s Julia Mikulski. After dominating the first set, 6-1, Payton Robinette fell in her first singles competition of the season,1-6, 6-1, 6-2.
In doubles play, VU earned two second place finishes. Sharma/Rosca and Kurtz/Smith fell in their doubles flight championships 6-0, 6-1 respectively.