Men’s and Women’s Tennis Teams Combine for 20 Wins on Day Two of ITA Regional

Meridian, MS—After going 3-0 in opening round play on Wednesday, the Marion Military Institute men's and women's tennis teams combined to win 20 singles and doubles matches during action on Day Two of the 2016 ITA Southern Regional JUCO Championships at the Northeast Tennis Center. 

Two of MMI's five losses occurred in walkovers.  A walkover takes place when a player is unable to start a match, usually due to injury.  MMI's John Hunter had to pull out of the tournament in singles and doubles play due to a back injury.

The four remaining men scored easy Round of 32 wins.  Danny Boussom  (6-1, 6-0) and Andrew Carey (6-1, 6-1) knocked out two players from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, while Barry Booth (6-0, 6-1) took out a player from Meridian Community College and Isaiah Polk handed an East Central Community College player a 6-0, 6-0 defeat.

In the Round of 16 matches, MMI split the four matches played, with Boussom (6-1, 6-0) and  Booth (6-0, 6-1) handling players from Itawamba Community College and Polk and Carey losing to the tournament's No. 2- and No. 7-seeded players, respectively, from Meridian Community College.

In men's doubles, the team of Boussom and Carey downed East Central's Daniel Yepez and Christian Crapps, 8-2.

On the women's side, Paola Bou (6-1, 6-1), Alana Larcombe (6-1, 6-1), Morgan Ingram (6-2, 6-0) and Jordan Berrios (6-3, 6-2) defeated players from Meridian Community College in the Round of 32.  Makenzie Ralston hung on for dear life to defeat the No. 3-seeded player from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Paulina Estrada.  Estrada had to default her match while leading 6-4, 5-4, and 40-30.  On the verge of victory, Estrada was defaulted by the tournament referee for cramping a second time during her match with Ralston.  Bridget Mayfield suffered a 6-3, 6-0 loss to the tournament's No. 1 seed, Hinds Community College's Mariana Alvarez.

The Round of 16 featured four matches between Marion Military Institute and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.  MMI swept all four matches:  Bou (6-0, 6-1), Larcombe (6-1, 6-0), Ingram (6-1, 6-1), and Ralston (6-0, 6-1).  Berrios suffered the only loss in the Round of 16; she was defeated by the tournament's No. 8 seed, Copiah-Lincoln's Gyselle Daza, 6-0, 6-0.

In women's doubles, the teams of Bou/Larcombe (8-0), Mayfield/Ralston (8-2), and Ingram/Berrios (8-0) reached the quarterfinals.