Women’s Tennis: Cajuns Freshmen Shine in Home Debut

LAFAYETTE – Freshmen Lucile Delabarre and India Shiaelis won their draws on Saturday for Louisiana in the Ragin’ Cajuns Invitational at the Culotta Tennis Center.
 
Delabarre defeated ULM’s Patricia Villar 7-5, 6-4 in the final while Shiaelis defeated Lamar’s Stephanie Marchena 6-3, 5-2 (ret) in the final.
 
Freshman Marina Garcia Rodriguez also advanced to the finals for the Ragin’ Cajuns where she fell, 6-1, 6-0 to ULM’s Ioana Popescu.
 
"For them to go out and all three freshman get into the finals, that was big for them," head coach Stephanie Vallejos said. "To be here at home competing for the first time and getting all the way to the championship round is huge."
 
In doubles action, Louisiana’s Alexandra Way and Elena Sava fell, 7-6(3) to ULM’s Tiffany Mylonas and Luana Stanciu. Way and Sava then defeated McNeese’s Sarah Jurakova and Giovanna Fioretti, 6-2 to win the third place match.
 
Delabarre and Shiaelis dropped a 6-2 decision to LSU-Alexandria’s Sara Andrade and Gisela Amor. Delabarre and Shiaelis then knocked off Incarnate Word’s Sarah Savedra and Ale Landaluce, 6-0 in the consolation match.
 
Louisiana’s Abby Johnson and Rodriguez Garcia fell, 6-4 to Southeastern Louisiana’s Ceci Mercier and Madina Vorotnikova. Johnson and Rodriguez Garcia defeated SLU’s Sarah Eutinger and Dany Raygadas, 6-4 to win the third place match.
 
"Overall it was a good tournament," Vallejos said. "We have some work that needs to be done in our doubles, but overall it was a good tournament for us."
 
Louisiana is scheduled to compete from Oct. 14-17 in the ITA Southern Regional in Tuscaloosa, Ala.