Kalla Schaefer (Madison/Madison Memorial) and Alexandra Bayliss (Sheboygan/North) are representing UW-Whitewater and the Midwest Region this weekend, October 13-16, at the Copeland-Cox Tennis Center in Mobile, Alabama at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Championship.  Schaefer won the singles draw at the ITA Midwest Regional on September 25 and she combined with Bayliss to win the doubles draw.  The winners of the eight regions from around the country are meeting at the championship.  All places will be played out, so everyone is guaranteed three matches.

The USTA/ITA National Small College Championship is the only national championship event for singles and doubles at the NCAA Division II and NAIA levels. It is also the only tournament that combines all levels of junior/community college (NJCAA Divisions I and III and the California division). The singles and doubles champions at each divisional level will then compete to become the overall “Super Bowl” champions. The "Super Bowl" champions earn wild cards into the USTA/ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships with the opportunity to win the culminating event held at the USTA-Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. 

Schaefer is making her second appearance in the ITA Small College Nationals, having also earned a berth, and the All-America honors that go with it, in 2010. 

Saturday
On the final day of competition, UW-W's Kalla Schaefer (Madison/Madison Memorial) won the seventh place match over Ava Sadehi of Vassar 6-2,7-5.  Schaefer improves to 16-2 overall in singles this season, including a 10-2 record in tournament play.  Schaefer is undefeated in team dual matches.

Lok Sze Leung of Middlebury won the singles title in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, over Gabrielle Clark of Emory.  Leung was the four seed in the tournament.  She took down the one seed in the semifinals and the two seed in the finals.

Friday
On day two of the ITA National Championship in Mobile, Alabama, Kalla Schaefer (Madison/Madison Memorial) fell to Mackenzie Knoop of Trinity 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.  Knoop was the six seed in the tournament and Schaefer was the seven seed.  Schaefer will play in the seventh place match on Saturday at 8:30 am against Ava Sadeghi of Vassar who lost to Sonja Meighan of Washington & Lee 6-1, 6-1.  Schaefer is now 15-2 in singles and her only two losses are in this tournament against the top players in the country.

Schaefer paired with Bayliss for their final doubles match at the championship and fell to Nancy Worley and Kara Shoemaker of Williams 6-4, 6-1.  The duo finishes the tournament in eighth.  As a tandem Schaefer and Bayliss are now 13-4.


Thursday
In the first round match Thursday morning, Schaefer lost to #2 seed Gabrielle Clark of Emory 6-1, 6-2.  This was her first loss of the season, moving her singles record to 15-1.  Clark still remains undefeated at 7-0. Schaefer will play Mackenzie Knoop of Trinity, Friday morning at 10:30. Knoop lost to Chicago's Kendra Higgins 6-1, 6-4 in the first round. The final match of the tournament will be played Saturday morning at 8:30 am. 

Schaefer and Bayliss lost their first doubles match 6-2, 6-1 to top seeded Laura Chen and Courtney Chin of Carnegie Mellon. Chen and Chin improved their season record to 7-1. In the 5:00 match, the Warhawks lost to Alyssa Roberg and Courtney Lawless of Whitman 6-1, 0-6, 11-9. The pair fought back from an early deficit and led 9-4 in the tiebreak, but came up just short. Bayliss and Schaefer's record is now 13-4. The Warhawks will play for 7th place tomorrow at 3:30 against the loser of Williams and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
 
To see the Division III brackets click here

For more info on the tournament, and to see live scoring throughout the event click here

For additional information, Frank Barnes, UW-W head coach