Staloch takes ITA Title

Sophomore Amy Staloch won the ITA Small College Division III Championship at in Fort Myers, Fla., on Saturday. Staloch battled her way through the tournament, defeating opponents to reach the finals of the prestigious tournament.
A 6?4, 6?4 victory over top-seeded Jeannine Liang from Claremont-Mudd-Scripps College secured the Tartans? number one singles player a spot in the finals. Rising early for an 8:30 am match, she met familiar rival Serena Burkhard of Emory University. Burkhard appeared to have the upper hand as she took the first set 6?2, but Staloch would not roll over and give the match away. Behind strong serves and aggressive play at the net, Staloch battled back from the brink of defeat to force a third set with a
7?6 win after taking a 7?3 tiebreaker. The match came down to another tiebreaker in the last set, as Staloch outlasted Burkhard 9?7 to claim the championship.
?Obviously it is huge for our program. It shows that we?re moving in the right direction to compete for national titles,? said coach Andy Girard, who has been Staloch?s coach since her arrival at Carnegie Mellon.
?She has just matured a lot on the court ? ??? last year when she got behind she?d tend to get frustrated and angry ? now she just digs in and gets ready to battle.?
Aside from winning the Division III title, Staloch also received the James O?Hara Sargent Sportsmanship Award. This award goes to a men?s and women?s player who displays outstanding sportsmanship and exemplify the spirit of college tennis.
Staloch will look to carry this success into Carnegie Mellon?s regular season, where she will lead the team in the quest for a UAA title.