As the 2017-18 academic year begins, so does another Webster women's tennis season. The Gorloks started the season with four returning players and three newcomers.  Seniors Monica Behrle (Atlanta, GA) and Jesse Steffens-Willis (St. Louis, MO) have played all four years at Webster.  Juniors Sara Rice (Mahomet, IL) and Madison Watts (Rogersville, MO), return as well. The Gorloks have three freshmen on the roster: Maggie Federhofer (St. Louis, MO), Liz Gerger (St. Louis, MO), and Adri Ventimiglia (St. Louis, MO).
 
The Loks' season began with the Webster University Invitational, on September 2-3. The tournament was divided into two doubles brackets and four singles brackets, with three doubles and six singles lines competing.  Webster (WU), the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL), Judson University (JU), Truman State University (TS), and Quincy University (QU) participated in the tournament.
 
On Sept. 2, play began with doubles. The #1 doubles team of Behrle and Watts struggled in their opening round and lost to a tough UMSL team. At #2, Rice and Steffens-Willis battled from behind to win their first match in a tiebreaker against Truman State. Federhofer and Gerger made their collegiate debuts at #3, and they were spectacular, beating Quincy 8-5.
 
"It was really awesome winning our first match," gushed Gerger. "I was definitely very nervous, and Maggie and I have never really played together before. But we worked really well together. We created a lot of good strategies and played well."
 
"I think it was a great opportunity for the freshmen to see what competition can look like during the season," Behrle added.
 
After the first round, the teams then played a second round of doubles. Behrle and Watts defeated their next opponents, Judson University. During that match, Behrle and Watts won three consecutive games to take the lead 7-5 and then the match at 8-6. The other two double teams had tough second round matches, #2 losing 8-0 to Truman State and #3 8-0 to UMSL.
 
Doubles play ceased for the day as singles matches commenced after lunch. In Bracket A, Behrle won her first match 6-4, 6-1 against Judson and lost her second 6-3, 6-3 against Truman. Watts, playing in Bracket B, lost her first match 6-4, 6-1 against Truman but won her second match 6-3, 6-0 against Judson. Rice and Steffens-Willis in Bracket C respectively faced tougher opposition, losing both their singles matches on Saturday.
 
The two freshmen, Federhofer and Gerger, made their singles debut in Bracket D. Federhofer received a bye the first round and then won her first collegiate singles match 6-2, 6-4 against Judson. Gerger had a great match against a Judson player herself in her first round, but she lost in a close 7-5, 7-5 match. She then faced another tough opponent, Truman State, and lost her second match as well.
 
Play resumed on Sept. 2. Behrle and Watts had a tough start, losing their opening match to Quincy. They did, however, play a consolation match, which they won against another Quincy team 8-6 to take fifth place in their bracket. In the other doubles bracket, Rice and Steffens-Willis won their next two matches to take third place. Federhofer and Gerger lost their match of the day, taking sixth.
 
"I think we all displayed level heads and respect on the court and learned what we can improve on in the matches to come," said Rice after her final match of the tournament.
 
The Loks had more opportunities to show their mindfulness in the Sunday singles matches. Behrle continued to win using the momentum from her last victory in doubles. She beat Quincy 6-2, 6-4 and then took third place by beating Truman 7-5, 6-3. Watts lost her first match 7-5, 6-1 to Truman, and then in her consolation match, she lost 8-0 to Quincy to take sixth place.
 
Federhofer faced two tough opponents on her second day, losing both of her matches. However, because of her bye and victory on Saturday, Federhofer still claimed sixth place in her first collegiate tournament.
 
"We launched ourselves into this season playing between six and eight matches this weekend, and everyone held out and worked hard," Steffens-Willis said after the tournament finally came to a close.
 
"I'm very happy with our first match of the season," agreed Watts. "I felt that the returners worked hard over the summer, and it showed in their matches. Our new freshmen are also proving to be big assets to the team this year."
 
The players weren't the only people proud of their hard work in their tournament. Head Coach Martha Davis-Goldstein was also pleased with her team's showing.
 
"The invite was a great opportunity for our women to be challenged early this fall," she said. "I was impressed by our team's effort and performance throughout two jam-packed days of tennis."
 
"It looks like it's going to be a good year for Webster tennis," Watts confidently predicted.
 
The Gorloks' next match of the fall season is at home on Sunday, September 10, at 9:00 a.m. against Franklin College. Go Loks!  Webster's results in the Invitational are as follows:
 
DOUBLES
Bracket A
Round 1: Hauer, Jennifer/Prediger, Marina (UMSL) def. Behrle, Monica/Watts, Madison (WU) 8-5
Round 2: Behrle, Monica/Watts, Madison (WU) def. Banda, Martha/Saiki, Lauren (JU) 8-6
Round 3: Lynch, Sydney/McIsaac, Rebecca (QU) def. Behrle, Monica/Watts, Madison (WU) 8-6
Round 4: Behrle, Monica/Watts, Madison (WU) def. Konczak, Anna/Moore, Abby (QU) 8-3
 
Bracket B
Round 1: Rice, Sara/Steffens-Willis, Jesse (WU) def. Albin, Kaylin/Rassel, Finessa (TS) 9-8(5)
                Federhofer, Maggie/Gerger, Liz (WU) def. Kanaeva, Rita/Peterson, Maria (QU) 8-5
Round 2: Auclair, Janet/Lunge, Leticia (UMSL) def. Rice, Sara/Steffens-Willis, Jesse (WU) 8-0
                Eby, Morgan/Rogers, Alexandra (TS) def. Federhofer, Maggie/Gerger, Liz (WU) 8-0
Round 3: Rice, Sara/Steffens-Willis, Jesse (WU) def. Kanaeva, Rita/Peterson, Maria (QU) 8-3
                Albin, Kaylin/Rassel, Finessa (TS) def. Federhofer, Maggie/Gerger, Liz (WU) 8-2
Round 4: Rice, Sara/Steffens-Willis, Jesse (WU) def. Albin, Kaylin/Rassel, Finessa (TS) 8-6
                Kanaeva, Rita/Peterson, Maria (QU) def. Federhofer, Maggie/Gerger, Liz (WU) 9-8(5)
 
 
SINGLES
Bracket A
Round 1: Behrle, Monica (WU) def. Banda, Martha (JU) 6-4, 6-1
Round 2: Schlichting, Lindsey (TS) def. Behrle, Monica (WU) 6-3, 6-3
Round 3: Behrle, Monica (WU) def. McIsaac, Rebecca (QU) 6-3, 6-2
Round 4: Behrle, Monica (WU) def. Dunn, Maura (TS) 7-5, 6-3
 
Bracket B
Round 1: Rogers, Alexandra (TS) def. Watts, Madison (WU) 6-4, 6-1
                Binnion, Ellen (JU) def. Rice, Sara (WU) 6-4, 6-2
Round 2: Watts, Madison (WU) def. Saiki, Lauren (JU) 6-3, 6-0
                Moore, Abby (QU) def. Rice, Sara (WU) 6-4, 6-0
Round 3: Binnion, Ellen (JU) def. Watts, Madison (WU) 7-5, 6-1
Round 4: Moore, Abby (QU) def. Watts, Madison (WU) 8-0
 
Bracket C
Round 1: Kanaeva, Rita (QU) def. Steffens-Willis, Jesse (WU) 6-2, 6-3
Round 2: Norgren, Rachel (JU) def. Steffens-Willis, Jesse (WU) 6-2, 6-1
 
Bracket D
Round 1: Federhofer, Maggie (WU) advances (bye)
                Klepps, Madeleine (JU) def. Gerger, Liz (WU) 7-5, 7-5
Round 2: Federhofer, Maggie (WU) def. Fenn, Emily (JU) 6-2, 6-4
                Rassel, Finessa (TS) def. Gerger, Liz (WU) 8-1
Round 3: Auclair, Janet (UMSL) def. Federhofer, Maggie (WU) 6-0, 6-0
Round 4: Albin, Kaylin (TS) def. Federhofer, Maggie (WU) 8-3