Gruber, Anderson advance to semis at IIAC tournament

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa. – After just missing qualification for the Iowa Conference Team Championship, the Simpson women's tennis team got underway at the Iowa Conference Women's Individual Conference Tournament Friday.

Simpson found its most success in Flight C Singles, where sophomores Lynae Gruber and Allison Anderson each went 3-0 on the day in advancing to the semifinals. Gruber knocked off Wartburg's Emily Peterson (8-1), Central's Chelsea Johnson (8-2) and Lindsay Bonnell of Dubque (8-5) to advance. She is set to face Brita Jensen of Wartburg in Saturday's semifinal match.

Gruber advanced to the finals in Flight C Singles as a freshman in 2008, only to fall 6-1, 6-0 to teammate Gwen Kingsbury.

The Storm's other semifinalist, Anderson notched victories over Kylie George of Loras (8-1), Michelle McKenzie of Wartburg (8-3) and Jackie Ventrice of Dubuque (8-6). She faces Claire Evans of Wartburg in Saturday's semifinal match.

Freshman Lindsay Nash came within a match of reaching the semis, but lost to Evans in the quarterfinal match.

Junior Jill Berner advanced to the quarterfinals in Flight B Singles before bowing to Alyssa Zavislak of Cornell, 8-0. Berner received a bye in the first round and defeated Central's Jamie Ruisch, 8-0 in the second round.

Freshman Tiffany Bost notched a first-round victory in Flight B Singles, 8-4 over Central's Carissa Bane. Lindsay Greiner of Wartburg knocked out Bost with an 8-5 win in the second round. Also competing in Flight B Singles was Mikayla Struebing, who lost a close contest to Luther's Abby Landsness, 9-7 in the first round.

Corrie McDonald registered an 8-3 win over Carly Villano of Loras in Flight C Singles before dropping an 8-5 decision to Buena Vista's Megan Anderson.

The duo of Berner and Bost competed in the Flight A Doubles Friday, dropping an 8-1 decision to a duo from Luther. In Flight B, Anderson and Nash defeated Villano and Alt of Loras before bowing to Dubuque's Scheidewend and McWethy.

Kirts and McDonald fell in the first round in Flight B Doubles, as did Struebing and Gruber.