College Sports

TUCSON, Ariz. — Tyler Junior College’s Ashley Irvin, a sophomore from Brisbane, Australia, won the ITA Player of the Year award during Sunday’s banquet for the NJCAA Women’s Tennis National Championship.

Irvin, who was nominated in her region, had a strong fall campaign as she advanced to the ITA National Small College Championships in Mobile, Ala. She qualified for the singles semifinals before eventually losing in the third-place match.

Irvin, who is in Flight 1 at the national tournament, played her first match Sunday and won 6-0, 6-0 over Kate Gillespie of Sauk Valley (Ill.) Community College. Irvin is the No. 8 seed.

Irvin performed well at last year’s national tournament with a second-place finish in Flight 2.

The Apache Ladies had three other matches on Day 1 at the Randolph Tennis Center.

Priscillia Villemond, a sophomore from just outside Paris, France, did not drop a game against Christina Ocampo of Moraine Valley (Ill.) Community College in Flight 2. Villemond is the No. 2 seed.

In Flight 3, freshman No. 4 seed Ashley Longoria defeated Morgan Maylen of Eastern Arizona, 6-2, 6-0. Longoria is from Rowlett High School.

In Flight 4, No. 2 seed Sureena Weir advanced over McKenzie McCullough of Arkansas-Fort Smith, 6-1, 6-0. Weir is a freshman from Midland Lee High School.

TJC received byes at Flight 5 (Iris Rendon) and 6 (Kelly Rittenhouse).

All the players will be in action on Monday, including all three flights of doubles.

The only seeded player to lose in the first round was Lee College’s Maria Herrera. The No. 4 seed fell to Valerie Stevens of Seward County (Kan.), 6-3, 6-4, in Flight 4.