RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University men’s and women’s tennis teams took part in the annual USTA/ITA Ohio Valley Regionals this past weekend. Purdue University hosted the women’s tournament while the University of Memphis served as host for the men.

On the women’s side, sophomores Amandine Faouzi and Kristina Labeja were a part of the main draw of 64 singles players while junior Saioa Oscoz along with sophomores Melissa Gerritsen, Marcela Jimenez and Carmen Rodriguez had to begin play in the qualifying rounds. Gerritsen pulled off a pair of straight set wins in qualifying to give EKU three players in the main draw.

Labeja advanced to the round of 32 with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Memphis’ Kelly Gray. However, she fell in the ensuing round to the tournament’s ninth seed, Vanderbilt’s Courtney Colson.

Gerritsen and Labeja served as the team’s representative in the doubles main draw, but they dropped their opening match to Kentucky’s Kirsten Lewis and Nadia Ravita.

All four men – sophomore Juanjo de le Llera, senior Jan Dombrowski, freshman Florian Graskamp and junior Joao Maio and – were forced to begin their tournament action in the round of 128. De le Llera was the lone Colonel to survive the first round with a 6-3, 6-4 triumph over Belmont’s Henrik Claesson. In the round of 64, de le Llera came up short against ETSU’s Juan Ramirez, 6-4, 6-2.

Dombrowski-de le Llera and Graskamp-Maio served as the doubles teams, but neither team picked up a win.

Next up for the EKU tennis teams is the indoor season which will start in mid-January.