By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The Fort Hays State tennis team is nearing the end of their fall season as they traveled to Oklahoma City for the 2018 installment of the ITA Fall Central Regional. The Tigers took multiple athletes down to compete in both the A and B flights of the event.
In A flight singles play, five Tigers were seeded in the 64-player field. Laura Jimenez-Lendinez (33), Natalie Lubbers (60), Ellea Ediger (62) and Lauren Lindell (58) all took part in the singles bracket on Friday. However, each Tiger fell in single-elimination play.
Jimenez-Lendinez took on No. 32 Katharina Drebka from Arkansas Tech, falling in a 6-1, 6-2 outcome. Natalie Lubbers took the 6-1, 6-1 loss to fellow MIAA competitor in Washburn’s Alexis Czapinksi. Rylie Cox of Harding University defeated Ediger in a 6-2, 6-1 decision, while Lauren Lindell lost 6-3, 6-1 to Central Oklahoma’s Adel-Byanu Abidullina.
In A flight doubles play, the duo of Jimenez-Lendinez and Nicole Lubbers fell in an 8-0 decision to Washburn’s Czapinski and Logan Morrissey. Natalie Lubbers and Lindell also dropped a match to an MIAA opponent as they slipped under Central Oklahoma’s Isabella Dunlap and Paola Landin, 9-7.
In the B flight of the tournament, Haley Weidemann and Nicole Lubbers competed in singles play. Lubbers captured a bye and advanced to the round of 32, while Weidemann dropped a 7-5, 6-1 match to Taylor Hansard of Ouachita Baptist. Lubbers, however, fell in the round of 32 against Katie Harris of Arkansas Tech in a 6-2, 6-3 contest.
In B flight doubles, Weidemann and Ediger took on No. 6 Allison Carpenter and Emily Carpenter of Harding University. The duo was tripped up in a default decision.
The Tigers round out their fall season with a trip to Ottawa on Thursday (Oct. 4). First serve is set for 2 p.m.