ATHENS — Chelsey Gullickson’s team lost in the NCAA women’s tennis tournament last week. Her bid for a second NCAA singles title withered in a first-round upset loss Wednesday.
On Friday, all that remained of her decorated Georgia career was her alliance with Nadja Gilchrist, her doubles partner for much of their four years together. By dint of a 4-6, 7-6 (0), 6-1 win over an entry from Michigan, Gullickson and Gilchrist preserved their college careers in the present tense for at least another afternoon.
“I’m happy to be coming out to the courts again and be playing and having the fans out there,” Gilchrist said. “It was awesome.”
By reaching the quarterfinals, where they’ll play a California team Saturday, Gilchrist and Gullickson receive All-American status. Gullickson completed a full set of All-American accolades — four in singles, four in doubles. She’s the first in Georgia history, men’s or women’s, to earn such distinction. With three more wins, Gullickson and Gilchrist would become the first Georgia women to win an NCAA doubles title.
“I think I’m still dwelling a little bit on my singles [loss], so it’s not that exciting right now,” said Gullickson, the 2010 NCAA singles champion. “For me to end my career being an eight-time All-American is something I’ll be proud of.”
Gilchrist and Gullickson were the last of five entries from Georgia schools to finish at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex and turned out to be the only ones to survive. Competing on the three show courts of Henry Feild Courts — occupying all three in the early afternoon — players from Georgia, Georgia Tech and Georgia State tumbled one after the other in Round of 16 matches.
Georgia State’s Abigail Tere-Apisah, the first player in school history to reach the Round of 16, lost 6-1, 6-4 to top-seeded Allie Will of Florida. Georgia’s Wil Spencer absorbed a 6-1, 6-3 defeat from Virginia’s Mitchell Frank, the No. 2 seed. The Tech women’s doubles team of Alex Anghelescu and Jillian O’Neill was swept out by Pepperdine, 6-1, 6-2, one match shy of All-American status. The Tech men’s pairing of Kevin King and Juan Spir, partners for three years, came up short against a team from Mississippi, 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-4.
“I guess I just need to go back and just keep working on my game,” Tere-Apisah said.
Tere-Apisah fell prey to Will’s patience and consistency, making an inordinate number of unforced errors. Tere-Apisah, the only player from a mid-major school to reach the Round of 16, had opportunities in the second set, including a game point to tie at 5-all. That point — which was re-played after a let call by Will just as Tere-Apisah was hitting what would have been a winner for the game — ultimately went to Will, who took the game for the match.
“I had my chances to get up, but I just never converted when I had a point to win the game,” said Tere-Apisah, from Papua New Guinea. “It’s frustrating.”
Spencer was overmatched by Frank, the ITA rookie of the year who improved his record to 38-1.
“He grinded,” Spencer said. “I thought I played well some points, but I got a little bit tired.”
The loss concluded Spencer’s career. He plans to study international affairs at Oxford next fall with teammate Sadio Doumbia.
“It’s bittersweet,” Spencer said. “I’m always going to remember this.”
Pepperdine’s Lorraine Guillermo and Khunpak Issara escorted Tech’s Anghelescu and O’Neill out of the tournament with aggressive play.
“They were coming after us,” Tech women’s coach Bryan Shelton said. “I feel like we were on our heels early trying to feel it out too much instead of being ready from the first ball.”
King and Spir, the No. 3 seed, could not re-capture the magic that propelled them to the NCAA semifinals a year ago. Mississippi’s German twin brothers, Chris and Marcel Thiemann, broke King and Spir at 1-1 in the third set and held on for the win. Tech men’s coach Kenny Thorne called the King/Spir team the best in Tech history.
“They’ve brought a lot of recognition to Georgia Tech, a lot of class, a lot of character,” Thorne said. “Georgia Tech’s a better place with these guys for what they’ve done for our program.”
Stanford’s Mallory Burdette, from Butts County, cruised into the quarterfinals with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Zoe Scandalis of USC. Burdette also teamed in doubles with Nicole Gibbs to defeat Rice 6-2, 6-2. They’re seeded second in the field. Burdette won the NCAA doubles title a year ago with Hilary Barte.
Tennessee’s Natalie Pluskota, from Northgate High, lost in singles to Stanford’s Gibbs, 5-7, 6-1, 7-5. In doubles, Joanna Mather (Florida/Duluth) and Pluskota were part of advancing teams that will meet in the quarterfinals. Alabama’s Courtney McLane (Brookwood High) lost her doubles match.
On the men’s side, Ricky Doverspike (Alabama/Northview High) and Jarmere Jenkins (Virginia/College Park) were part of losing doubles teams.
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