Ferris State Duo Opens Action At 2021 ITA Cup Championships In Georgia

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University women's tennis doubles tandem of Sam Stephenson and Morgan Waller opened competition in the 2021 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Cup on Thursday (Oct 14) in Rome, Ga.

The Bulldog doubles tandem, who earned runner-up honors at the ITA Midwest Regional Championships in late September to receive an at-large berth into the national event, fell 6-4, 6-3 to the Nova Southeastern (Fla.) combination of Zala Dovnik and Nina Kozar in opening day action at the Rome Tennis Center on the Berry College campus in Georgia.

"It was a great match and I'm very proud of these girls," said FSU head coach Mark Doren. "Their opponents were both graduate students that previously played Division I power five tennis before they transferred. In addition, Morgan was battling an injury and based on that fact I still thought they played outstanding. We'll get back at it tomorrow."

Each doubles team that earned an invitation will play at least three matches in the event. FSU's duo will next take on Indiana (Pa.) standouts Natasha Munday and Joanna Stralka on Friday.

Stephenson and Waller were among the at-large selections chosen from the group of regional finalists and nationally-ranked performers across the country. This year marks the first time since 2006 in which a Bulldog women's doubles team has qualified for the national event.

Formerly known as the Small College Nationals, the ITA Cup has a history dating back to 1986, and it is the only singles and doubles national championship event for the Division II and NAIA levels. In 2019, more then 8,000 players took part in a total of 60 regional tournaments to gain entry into the ITA Cup field.

Each division represented features between eight and sixteen singles players and eight to sixteen doubles teams, competing in their respective draws.

Waller and Stephenson earned their at-large invitation to the ITA Cup after an impressive showing at the ITA Midwest Regional Championships held Sept. 18-20 in Indianapolis where they finished with a 4-1 record on the weekend. The duo, en route to reaching the finals of the main draw, upset the nation's #2-ranked tandem of Sofia Sharanova and Maria Solnyshkina from UIndy in the quarterfinals before topping a Southwest Baptist (Mo.) duo of Diana Cabrera and Paula Ballesteros in the semifinals. Waller and Stephenson suffered a 6-4, 6-1 setback in the regional doubles title match to the University of Indianapolis' Anna Novikova and Bella Dunlap.