• Results (.pdf)

PITTSBURGH (Sept. 7) – Led by dual All-American Helena VanEysendeyk (Meythet, France/Zurich International), the California University of Pennsylvania tennis team opened the 2008-09 season in impressive fashion at the Carnegie Mellon Invitational on Sunday.

VanEysendeyk claimed the individual championship in the No. 1 singles flight with a perfect 3-0 record. The French native opened the tournament with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over junior Rachel McGowan of Duquesne University before claiming a 6-3, 6-3 win against Amanda Wu of the host Tartans. In the championship match of the flight, VanEysendeyk posted a 6-1, 6-1 victory over freshman teammate Alina Stanila (Alexandria, Romania/Technical).

In her collegiate debut, Stanila finished with a 2-1 record behind a pair of straight-set victories. The freshman earned a 6-3, 7-5 tiebreaker win against Laura Chen of Carnegie Mellon before defeating Zena Williams of Duquesne by a 6-3, 6-4 count.

VanEysendeyk and Stanila finished with a 1-1 mark in the No. 1 doubles flight, earning an 8-2 victory over Kayla Blackburn and Samantha Blackburn of Slippery Rock University.

In the No. 3 singles flight, Mariana Oliveira (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Martha Falcao) registered a third-place finish after winning a tie-breaker set, 5-7, 6-0, 10-2, against Kelly Hart of the host Tartans. The freshman opened the flight with a 6-1, 6-0 victory against Alex Albano of Duquesne.

Sophomore Galina Vishnikina (Almaty, Kazakhstan/Sport Military) posted a 1-1 record in the No. 2 singles flight, earning a 6-0, 6-2 victory against Samantha Blackburn of Slippery Rock.

The Vulcans return to action on Friday, Sept. 12, with their first dual match of the season against Presbyterian College (S.C.) in Morgantown, W.Va.