Bears Wrap Up Fall Season at Clemson Tourney

CLEMSON, S.C. – Senior Jennifer Lada placed second in the Red Flight of the 2011 Duckworth Fall Classic hosted by Clemson University to pace Mercer's women's tennis team. Three of the Bears' four competitors won the opening round of their respective singles flights.

Lada defeated Tennessee-Martin's Ivon Simic in the first set of their opener, 6-2, and was leading 1-0 in the second set when Simic was forced to retire with an injury. In the championship semifinals, Lada bested Susita Das of Charleston by a 6-0, 6-3 score. However, in the finals, Lada dropped a 6-1, 6-2 decision to Clara Perez of Armstrong Atlantic.

Sophomore Lucie Payrat toppled Charleston's Marija Dzakovic in their White Flight opening match, 6-3, 6-2. Armstrong Atlantic's Kathleen Henry defeated Payrat in the semifinals, 6-3, 6-1 to drop the MU sophomore into the third place match. Unfortunately for Payrat, Tennessee-Chattanooga's Kaylene Caldwell won a three-set marathon, 2-6, 6-1, 6-0 to leave the MU entrant in fourth place.

Another sophomore for Mercer – Amanda Bertani – defeated Georgia Southern competitor Sydney Brown in the Black Flight first round three-setter. Bertani lost the opening set 3-6 before coming back to win the final two sets, 6-2, 6-4. In the semifinals, Bertani was topped by Kennesaw State's Tamara Plocker, 6-1, 6-1. That sent Bertani to the third place match versus Tennessee-Martin's Jessica Silva. Bertani battled to a three-set victory, 6-4, 4-6 and 10-7 in the deciding pro set, earning the third place award.

In the Green Flight, newcomer Melanie Schumilas lost her opening match to Jessica Gardefjord of Armstrong Atlantic, 6-3, 6-3, and then fell to Caitlin Kitchen of Georgia Southern in the consolation bracket, 6-2, 6-0. Schumilas rebounded in the seventh place game, defeating GSU's Scottie French, 6-2, 6-4.

Both of MU's doubles teams were winless in their respective flights. Payrat and Lada played in the Silver Flight, while Bertani and Schumilas were in the Bronze Flight.