AUSTIN, Texas (9/23/12) - Newcomer Dane Joubert teamed up with senior Ilona Serchenko to go 4-0 and to capture the "White" doubles flight championship at the Longhorn Invitational at Texas's Penick-Allison Tennis Center. The Mean Green had multiple players advance to their respective flight semifinals as well as flight finals.

"Overall, we had an outstanding tournament. The caliber of competition was very high this weekend and it was exciting to see us do so well in just our first tournament," Coach Sujay Lama said. "We have a great group of ladies eager to work hard and improve so that we can take that next step. They definitely made a statement this weekend"

Joubert and Serchenko started the weekend off by defeating partners Victoria Parshikova of North Texas and Annat Ravinovich of Texas 9-7 in the round of 16. The duo had no trouble defeating the No. 2 seeds, Leah Fried and Jane Stewart of Rice, with an 8-1 victory in the flight quarterfinals.

Saturday morning in the semifinals match, the pair went on to beat the No. 3 seeds, Emma Helisten and Jacqui Katz of Tulane, 8-6.

Sunday in the championship match, Joubert and Serchenko faced Heidi Stewart and Holly Verner of SMU, the team that knocked off No. 1 seeds Elena Kordolaimi and Dionne Sanders of Houston. The Mean Green won the match 8-3 to win the flight championship.

Joubert was just as dominant in singles competition. In her first collegiate tournament she won the "White" doubles flight and made it to the finals of the "Fuchsia" singles flight.

"For a freshmen to be in the finals of singles and win a doubles championship is a tremendous feat. To do it in her first collegiate event was quite impressive." Coach Lama said. "Dane has such a great attitude both on and off the court and it was fun to see her compete."

Joubert started singles play by knocking off the No. 2 seed, Steffi Rath of Denver, in three sets 6-7; 6-2; 6-1 on Friday afternoon in the round of 16.

Saturday morning in the quarterfinals, Joubert defeated Vivian Tsui of West Virginia 7-5; 6-1. Later that afternoon in the semifinals, Joubert was tested by No. 4 seeded Holly Verner of SMU winning in three sets, 5-7; 6-3; 6-4.

Joubert was set to play Jacqui Katz of Tulane in the finals. Katz defeated the No. 1 seed as well as the No. 3 seed of the "Fuchsia" flight on her way to facing Joubert in the finals. Katz went on to defeat Joubert in two sets, 6-1; 6-1.

Kseniya Bardabush and Franziska Sprinkmeyer partnered up to advance to the "Orange" doubles flight championship ultimately losing to No. 4 seeds Edyta Cieplucha and Aleksandra Malyarchikova of SMU 8-4. The pair defeated the No. 3 seeds Jenny Hois and Emma Levy 8-4 in the semifinals after defeating Hristina Dishkova and Elena Fayner of SMU 8-3 in the quarterfinals. Bardabush and Sprinkmeyer defeated Sophia Bergner and Steffi Rath of Denver 8-5 in the round of 16 to start the tournament.

The Mean Green had four more players that reached the semifinals of their respective flights. Bardabush and Valentina Starkova each advanced in the "Orange" singles flight. Barbora Vykydalova and Llona Serchenko each advanced in the "White" singles flight.

Starkova defeated Daniela Trigo of Rice 6-2; 6-2 in the round of 16 to play Mary Jeremiah of LSU in the quarterfinals Saturday morning. Starkova defeated Jeremiah 6-2; 6-4. Starkova then faced Aleksandra Malyarchikova of SMU in the semifinals. Malyarchikova, who went on to win the flight championship, defeated Starkova 6-2; 6-1.

Bardabush kicked off the weekend with a three set victory over Caroline Thornton of Tulane, 1-6; 6-3; 6-2, on Friday afternoon in the round of 16. Saturday morning in the quarterfinals, Bardabush faced the overall No. 1 seed and No. 34 in the nation Edyta Cieplucha of SMU. Bardabush defeated Cieplucha in three sets, 4-6; 6-4; 6-1. Bardabush advanced to the semifinals to play Elizabeth Begley of Texas. Begley defeated Bardabush in three sets, 3-7; 7-6; 6-2.

"Keseniya had an impressive tournament both in singles and doubles. Her win against the top seed and the 34th ranked player in the country was a break through victory and should propel her to great things this year."

Vykydalova began the tournament handing Charlotte Phillips of Houston a 6-1; 6-1 loss in Friday's round of 16. Vykydalova advanced to the quarterfinals where she defeated No. 3 seeded Juilana Gajic of Texas 6-3; 6-3. Vykydalova advanced to the semifinals to play Hristina Dishkova, who had taken down the flight's No. 1 seed Liat Zimmerman of Rice. Dishkova defeated Vykydalova 7-5; 6-4 on her way to win the flight championship.

Serchenko started the weekend by knocking off No. 2 seed Whitney Wofford of Oklahoma in three sets, 6-0; 3-6; 6-3 in the round of 16 on Friday afternoon. Serchenko advanced to the quarterfinals where she defeated Ariel Morton of LSU 6-4; 6-0. Stephanie Nguyen of Rice handed Serchenko her lone loss, 6-2; 6-3, in the semifinals match Saturday afternoon.

North Texas resumes fall tournament play on Saturday, September 28 when it competes in the Aztec Invitational in San Diego, Calif. 




Longhorn Invitational - Day 1 Results
"Black" Singles Round of 16
Ipek  Birol (Tulane) def. Agustina Valenzuela (UNT) 7-5; 4-6; 6-4
Emily Mathis (WV) def. (4) Franziska Sprinkmeyer (UNT) 6-3; 6-2
"Fuchsia" Singles Round of 16
Victoria Parshikova (UNT) def. Miranda Poile (UTSA) 3-6; 7-5; 6-3
(4) Holly Verner def. Emelia Box (UNT) 6-4; 6-4
Dane Joubert (UNT) def. (2) Steffi Rath (Denver) 6-7; 6-2; 6-1
"Orange" Singles Round of 16
Kseniya Bardabush (UNT) def. Caroline Thornton (Tulane) 1-6; 6-3; 6-2
Valentina Starkova (UNT) def. Daniela Trigo (Rice) 6-2; 6-2
"White" Singles Round of 16
Barbora Vykydalova (UNT) def. Charlotte Phillips (Houston) 6-1; 6-1
Llona Serchenko (UNT) def. (2) Whitney Wofford (OU) 6-0; 3-6; 6-3
"Orange" Doubles Round of 16
Caroline Magnusson - Caroline Thornton (Tulane) def. Valentina Starkova - Barbora Vykydalvoa (UNT) 8-1
Keseniya Bardabush - Franziska Sprinkmeyer (UNT) def. Sophia Bergner - Steffi Rath (Denver) 8-5
"White" Doubles Round of 16
Solo Zinko - Liat Zimmerman (Rice) def. Emelia Box - Agustina Valenzuela (UNT) 8-3
Dane Joubert - Ilona Serchenko (UNT) def. Victoria Parshikova (UNT) - Annat Rabinovich (Texas) 9-7


Longhorn Invitational - Day 2 Results
"Fuchsia" Singles Quarterfinals
(1) Jane Stewart def. Victoria Parshikova (UNT) 7-6; 7-6
Dane Joubert (UNT) def. Vivian Tsui (WV) 7-5; 6-1
"Fuchsia" Singles Semifinals
Dane Joubert (UNT) def. (4) Holly Verner (SMU) 5-7; 6-3; 6-4
"White" Singles Quarterfinals
Barbora Vykydalova (UNT) def. (3) Juliana Gajic (UT) 6-3; 6-3
Llona Serchenko (UNT) def. Ariel Morgan (LSU) 6-4; 6-0
"White" Singles Semifinals
Hristina Dishkova (SMU) def. Barbora Vykydalova (UNT) 7-5; 6-4
Stephanie Nguyen (Rice) def. Ilona Serchenko (UNT) 6-2; 6-3
"Orange" Singles Quarterfinals
Ksenyia Bardabush (UNT) def. (1) Edyta Cieplucha (SMU) 4-6; 6-4; 6-1
Valentina Starkova (UNT) def. Mary Jeremiah (LSU) 6-2; 6-4
"Orange" Singles Semifinals
Elizabeth Begley (UT) def. Kseniya Bardabush (UNT) 3-6; 7-6 (4); 6-2
Aleksandra Malyarchikova (SMU) def. Valentina Starkova (UNT) 6-2; 6-1
"Orange" Doubles Quarterfinals
Bardabush - Sprinkmeyer def. Hristina Dishkova - Elena Fayner (SMU) 8-3
"Orange" Doubles Semifinals
Bardabush - Sprinkmeyer def. (3) Jenny Hois - Emma Levy (Tulane) 8-4
"White" Doubles Quarterfinals
Joubert - Serchenko (UNT) def. (2) Leah Fried - Jane Stewart (Rice) 8-1
"White" Doubles Semifinals
Joubert - Serchenko (UNT) def. (3) Emma Helisten - Jacqui Katz (Tulane) 8-6


Longhorn Invitational - Day 3 Results
"Fuchsia" Singles Finals
Jacqui Katz (Tulane) def. Dane Joubert (UNT) 6-1; 6-1
"Orange" Doubles Finals
(4) Edyta Cieplucha - Aleksandra Malyarchikova (SMU) def. Bardabush - Sprinkmeyer 8-4
"White" Doubles Finals
Joubert - Serchenko (UNT) def. Heidi Stewart - Holly Verner (SMU) 8-3