Senior Danielle Mousseau and junior Mariana Spilca each won their opening round match in singles qualifying but could not advance past the Round of 32 and were eliminated from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Midwest Women's Regional Championships Thursday at the University of Michigan’s Varsity Tennis Center.

Mousseau, who moved to 7-5 in singles on the year, opened the day with a 6-0, 6-4 straight-sets victory over Cleveland State freshman and Edina, Minn., product Jackie Tabb in the first round. The senior couldn’t keep the momentum going, however, and ended up on the short end of a three-set battle with Akron’s Tanyaradzwa Gombera. Gombera won the first set 6-4, before Mousseau cruised in the second set with a 6-1 win to level the match. Gombera proved to be too tough in the third and out-dueled Mousseau 6-4 to take the match.

Spilca fought off some early-season tough luck to pull off one of the biggest wins of the day in her morning mach, knocking off the No. 5 seed Catherina Bestehorn of Eastern Michigan 3-6, 6-3, 6-1. But like Mousseau, Spilca was unable to advance, and fell to Toledo’s Ashley Frey in the second round 6-2, 6-1.

Mousseau and Spilca will return to action on Friday as the duo takes to the court in the doubles main draw. The tandem will be one of three Minnesota tandems in the field and will be joined by the teams of junior Karina Chiarelli and freshman Alessandra Ferrazzai, who are 9-2 so far this fall, and sophomore Tijana Koprivica and senior Ronni Seaton.

NCAA Women’s Tennis
ITA Midwest Region Men's Tournament
Oct. 18-23, 2007
University of Michigan Varsity Tennis Center
Ann Arbor Mich.

Women's Qualifying Singles Results (Minnesota Results only)
Round of 64
Danielle Mousseau (Minn.) def. Jackie Tabb (Cleveland St.), 6-0, 6-4
Mariana Spilca (Minn.) def. (5) Catherina Bestehorn (EMU), 3-6, 6-3, 6-1

Round of 32
Tanyaradzwa Gombera (Akron) def. Danielle Mousseau (Minn.), 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
Ashley Frey (Tol.) def. Mariana Spilca (Minn.), 6-2, 6-1