Sept. 14, 2008

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Columbia, Mo. - Day three of the Mizzou Invitational concluded this afternoon at the Green Tennis Center in Columbia. Five teams competed in the three-day event including Missouri, University of Missouri-Kansas City, St. Louis University, Drake University and Illinois State. Competition was divided into three singles brackets and one doubles bracket. Play began at 9:00 a.m. Sunday (Sept. 14) morning and included the final round of doubles followed by the final round of singles play.

To start the day the tennis courts filled with Tiger players as three of the four competing doubles teams wore black and gold. Kaitlyn Ritchie and Jessica Guiggoli faced Mallory Weber and Jamie Mera in the doubles championship. Weber and Mera recorded an 8-2 victory and claimed first. On the other side of the doubles bracket Missouri's Sofia Ayala and Maureen Modesto battled Tatiana Hrovatic and Hanna Eskers of Illinois State. After a close match Ayala and Modesto went on to win the tie-breaker 8-6, and the consolation title.

Singles action featured more Mizzou as doubles partners Guiggoli and Ritchie took to the courts to compete head-to-head for the Singles Bracket A title. Ritchie was able to set up several points by making Guiggoli move along the baseline. But the senior, Guiggoli proved her experience and carded a 7-5, 6-3 win over Ritchie to earn top honors in the Singles Bracket A.

Mera was also part of the Singles Bracket A but was knocked out of the winner's bracket by teammate Guiggoili yesterday. Freshman Jamie Mera competed in just the second indoor competition of her tennis career this weekend. Indoor or outdoor, Starkey is excited about the Florida native and expressed this after her 6-1, 0-6, (10-3) victory over Hailee Elmore of St. Louis University this afternoon.

In Singles Bracket B Ayala claimed top honors with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Jessica Aguilera of Drake.

Singles Bracket C would also feature a Missouri winner as Kaitlin Dunham defeated Drake's Sarah Plowman, 6-2, 6-0.

The Missouri women will be in action again in two weeks. The Tigers will compete in the UNLV Invitational. The event will cover three days beginning Friday, Sept. 26 through Sunday, Sept. 28. Missouri will be home again Friday, Oct. 3 through Sunday, Oct. 5 for the Mizzou Invitational II. The tournament will feature the University of Illinios, Southern Methodist, the University of Louisville and Mizzou.