ANNAPOLIS, Md., Oct. 12, 2012 -- Junior Ruxandra Andriescu (Brampton, Ontario, Canada/Turner Fenton) and sophomore Taylor Pinchoff (Sylvan Lake, Mich./West Bloomfield) led the James Madison women's tennis team Friday at the 2012 Navy Blue & Gold Invitational. The Dukes went a combined 6-3 on the first day of competition in the three-day event.
Andriescu picked up two wins for the Dukes while partnered with fellow junior Jacqueline Palmucci (Aurora, Colo./Cherokee Trail) in the B Flight of doubles competition. Andriescu and Palmucci knocked off Pitt's Karma Parbhu and Blair Brown 8-2 in the round-of-16 before taking down Navy's Mikaela Carlson and Tracy Thorsell 8-1 in the quarterfinals.
In B Flight singles action, Andriescu rolled over Pitt's Gabrielle Catanzariti 6-2, 6-1 to advance to Saturday's semifinals. Palmucci battled George Washington's Leah Pascarella in A flight quarterfinals, but ultimately fell 6-4, 6-0.
Pinchoff tallied a singles victory for JMU in A Flight quarterfinals action when she swept Pitt's Jocelyn Lu 6-0, 6-1. She also partnered with senior Michelle Nguyen (Springfield, Va./South County) to take an 8-4 win over Long Island's Sanne Louwers and Taysha Blessington in the doubles A Flight quarterfinals. The duo received a bye in the opening round-of-16.
Senior Megan Douglass (Wilton, Conn./St. Luke's) added a sixth victory to JMU's day-one total when she defeated Navy's Vivian Chau 6-4, 6-0 in C Flight singles. She moves on to the semifinals round of C Flight on day two of the tournament.
Madison will take part in day two of the Navy Blue & Gold Invitational Saturday. Match play will be played at the Brigade Sports Complex.
Singles (Day 01)
A (QF): Taylor Pinchoff def. Jocelyn Lu (Pitt) 6-0, 6-1
A (QF): Leah Pascarella (GW) def. Jacqueline Palmucci 6-4, 6-0
A (QF): Sanne Louwers (LIU) def. Katherine Bulling 6-4, 6-0
B (QF): Ruxandra Andriescu def. Gabrielle Catanzariti (Pitt) 6-2, 6-1
C (QF): Megan Douglass def. Vivian Chau (Navy) 6-4, 6-0
Doubles (Day 01)
A (Rd of 16): Berghaus/Jonsson (UMBC) def. Wirth/Bulling, 8-3
A (QF): Pinchoff/Nguyen def. Louwers/Blessington (LIU), 8-4
B (Rd of 16): Palmucci/Andriescu def. Parbhu/Brown (Pitt), 8-2
B (QF): Palmucci/Andriescu def. Carlson/Thorsell (Navy), 8-1
