HOUSTON, TX –Several members of the University of Texas-Pan American women’s tennis team advanced as the Rice Tennis Classic continued at Jake Hess Tennis Stadium Saturday.

In flight A singles, Celine Merlini lost to Jeri Gonzales of Rice in the second round, 6-2, 6-3.

In consolation action, in flight B singles, Elisabet Mateos defeated Kendall Exelby of Texas-El Paso by default, then lost to Erika Villalobos of Rice, 6-0, 6-1. Kathryn Waslen also lost to Villalobos, 6-1, 6-1.

In flight C singles consolation action, Ana Pena of the Lady Broncs defeated Cici Anderson of Minnesota, 6-4, 6-3, then lost to Kylie Wallis of Rice in the semi-finals, 7-6, 6-3. Alana Breen also lost to Wallis, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. Jessica Brown lost to Mindy Ko of Rice, 6-3, 6-1, while Eve Nickelson fell to Christion Kincannon of Arkansas, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.

In flight A doubles, Merlini and Mateos won their first round match against Callie Dand and Elisa Bjorklund of UTEP, 8-4, then lost to Gonzales and Yasmin Fisher of Rice, 8-5. Waslen and Breen lost to Katie Ruckert and Ziva Grasic of Texas, 8-0, then fell to Andrea Rose and Brandi Watts of Minnesota, 8-4.

 In flight B, Pena and Brown lost to Anderson and Kelly Perry of Minnesota, 8-1, then fell to Julia Searle and Jennifer Nelson of Arkansas State, 9-7. Meanwhile, the Lady Broncs’ Eve Nickelson teamed up with Tea Spirta of UTEP and lost to Magul Cibilis and Marusa Pogacnik of Arkansas State, 8-4, before falling to Iliana Pacheco and Kincannon of Arkansas, 8-3.

The Lady Broncs will return to action at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional Championships at Fort Worth, TX in two weeks.

##WTRICE-100601 ##