North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
ITA All-American
No. 19 Kissell Advances in Riviera/ITA Back Draw
10/5/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Oct. 5, 2012
PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – NC State junior and 19th-ranked Joelle Kissell bounced back from a tough outing in Thursday’s first round, to notch a walkover victory, followed by a three-set triumph over Texas A&M’s Cristina Stancu in the main draw’s singles consolation bracket on Friday at the 2012 Riviera/ITA All-American Championships.
Kissell was scheduled to meet Michigan’s ninth-ranked Emina Bektas in the first round of the back draw, but Bektas withdrew due to injury, advancing Kissell to the draw’s quarterfinals.
Perhaps the Hostetter, Pa., native had a small advantage after not having to play a first round match, while Stancu, the nation’s 17th-ranked singles player, entered the quarterfinal match after grinding out a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 win shortly before the quarterfinal match.
Stancu clinched the first set, 6-3, but Kissell would not be denied, as she stormed back to win the second set by the same count and force a third and decisive set. With the frame knotted-up at five-all, Kissell willed her way to take the final two games and punch a ticket to Saturday’s consolation semifinals.
Kissell will have her hands full again on Saturday, Oct. 6, when she takes on Alabama’s 10th-ranked Mary Anne Macfarlane, who picked up back-to-back, straight-set victories on Friday. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m.
