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Rachel Siemon
  • history
  • Class of 2018
  • Crystal Lake, Ill.

Crystal Lake's Siemon Part of UW-Whitewater Women's Tennis Conference Title

2015 Oct 26

Rachel Siemon, a native of Crystal Lake, IL, who is majoring in mathematics, is part of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's tennis team, which won its ninth consecutive Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship Sunday after claiming all nine flights on the second and final day of the tournament at Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison.

The Warhawks posted their 16th conference title, claiming all six singles draws and all three doubles flights for the fourth time in league history. Marquette won all nine in Division II in 1982, and UW-Whitewater recorded the other two occurrences in 2008 and 2011.

The team crown is determined by using a combination of the regular season dual meet standings and the WIAC Championship results. The finish in the regular season accounts for one-third of the criteria, while the conference tournament accounts for the remaining two-thirds.

The Warhawks finished with 21 points, picking up seven thanks to a 6-0 regular season dual meet record and 14 via their first-place finish at the championship tournament.

Junior co-captain Megan Humphreys (Kenosha, Wis./Tremper) posted her second career WIAC singles title, claiming the No. 1 draw with a straight-set victory over Bridget Bellissimo of UW-La Crosse. Humphreys, who won the No. 3 singles championship in 2013, was also named to the All-Sportsmanship Team following play.

Sophomores Alicia Beck (Bismarck, N.D./St. Mary's Central), Alexandra Talyansky (Mequon, Wis./Homestead) and Jillian Wallace (Crystal Lake, Ill./Central) also picked up their second career singles titles. Talyansky won at No. 4 with a 6-1, 6-2 triumph over UW-La Crosse's Kendra Woyahn, while Wallace was the victor at the fifth position by a 6-2, 6-1 score in the final over UW-La Crosse's Sadie Spahn. Beck won the sixth flight with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Kendra Berry of UW-Eau Claire.

After finishing as a runner-up in singles a year ago, sophomore Bridgid McGuire (Slinger, Wis./Slinger) earned the championship at No. 3 with a 6-1, 6-3 win over UW-Eau Claire's Colleen McCullough.

Freshman Gabi Kitchell (Wausau, Wis./D.C. Everest) dropped just one game en route to the title at No. 2, downing Kimmy Mrozek of UW-La Crosse 6-0, 6-1 in the final.

In doubles, Humphreys and McGuire downed rivals Bellissimo and Mrozek of UW-La Crosse by an 8-4 count in the top flight.

Wallace and Beck, All-Americans by virtue of their USTA/ITA Midwest Region doubles championship, claimed the No. 2 draw with an 8-5 triumph over Paige Kuepers and Olivia Gallagher of UW-Eau Claire.

Kitchell and Talyansky lost only one game in two pro sets on their way to the No. 3 title, defeating Woyahn and Hayley Clope of UW-La Crosse 8-1 in the final.

With the title, UW-Whitewater also earned the right to host the WIAC Final Four AQ Tournament, played among the top four teams in the standings on April 30. The winner earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament in May.

See below for the Warhawks' results from the weekend.

No. 1 Singles

Megan Humphreys - No. 1 seed

First round: Bye

Semifinal: d. No. 4 Katelyn Asfeld (UW-Stevens Point) 6-0, 6-1

Final: d. No. 2 Bridget Bellissimo (UW-La Crosse) 6-2, 6-1

No. 2 Singles

Gabi Kitchell - No. 1 seed

First round: Bye

Semifinal: d. No. 5 Emily Kleist (UW-Stevens Point) 6-0, 6-0

Final: d. No. 2 Kimmy Mrozek (UW-La Crosse) 6-0, 6-1

No. 3 Singles

Bridgid McGuire - No. 1 seed

First round: Bye

Semifinal: d. No. 4 Sophie Pitz (UW-Oshkosh) 6-1, 6-0

Final: d. No. 2 Colleen McCullough (UW-Eau Claire) 6-1, 6-3

No. 4 Singles

Alexandra Talyansky - No. 1 seed

First round: Bye

Semifinal: d. No. 4 Shauna Stoffregen (UW-Oshkosh) 6-2, 6-2

Final: d. No. 2 Kendra Woyahn (UW-La Crosse) 6-1, 6-2

No. 5 Singles

Jillian Wallace - No. 1 seed

First round: Bye

Semifinal: d. No. 5 Jordan Tyjeski (UW-Stevens Point) 6-1, 6-1

Final: d. No. 2 Sadie Spahn (UW-La Crosse) 6-2, 6-1

No. 6 Singles

Alicia Beck - No. 1 seed

First round: Bye

Semifinal: d. No. 4 Katie Kreibich (UW-Stout) 6-1, 6-0

Final: d. No. 3 Kendra Berry (UW-Eau Claire) 6-4, 6-2

No. 1 Doubles

Humphreys/McGuire - No. 2 seed

First round: d. No. 7 Kelly Mendel/Anna Ebensperger (UW-River Falls) 8-0

Semifinal: d. No. 3 Sarah Henderson/Colleen McCullough (UW-Eau Claire) 8-3

Final: d. No. 1 Bridget Bellissimo/Kimmy Mrozek (UW-La Crosse) 8-4

No. 2 Doubles

Wallace/Beck - No. 1 seed

First round: Bye

Semifinal: d. No. 5 Kelsey Hochberger/Molly Deering (UW-River Falls) 8-0

Final: d. No. 2 Paige Kuepers/Olivia Gallagher (UW-Eau Claire) 8-5

No. 3 Doubles

Kitchell/Talyansky - No. 1 seed

First round: Bye

Semifinal: d. No. 4 Danielle Lutz/Kelsey Pedersen (UW-Stout) 8-0

Final: d. No. 2 Kendra Woyahn/Hayley Clope (UW-La Crosse) 8-1