DES MOINES, IOWA – The Augustana women's tennis team began their 2017 season at the Drake Invite over the weekend. The 10-team field included Creighton, North Dakota, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska-Omaha, South Dakota, Upper Iowa and Augustana.
 
Junior Kornelia Staniszewska won the singles flight A bracket, defeating Janelle Wilson from the University of Nebraska – Omaha 6-3, 6-2 Friday and Carmen Palumbo from the University of North Dakota 6-4, 1-6 (7) on Saturday. Staniszwska knocked off Summer Brills of Drake in the championship match 6-4, 6-2 on Sunday.
 
"This was a great tournament for us to start the tournament," head women's tennis coach Marc Kurtz said.  We had some great results and I'm happy with where we are at so early in the season."
 
Staniszewska and senior Berkley Darr were runner-ups in the doubles flight A bracket, paving their way to the championship match with victories over Kasillingam and Finnigan of UND, Herder/Williams of Drake, and Palumbo/Hartnett of UND.
 
Sophomore Taylor Jackson took down Abigail Dekkinga of Northern Illinois 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the singles flight C bracket Friday and Savanna Hunt of Northern Iowa 6-0, 6-4 before dropping her first match of the season to Jaylee Yasunaga of UND 6-3, 7-6 (2).
 
Making her Vikings debut, freshman Grace Goble defeated Emily Behling of UNO 6-1, 6-2 in the singles flight C bracket. Her success continued on Saturday when the Rapid City, S.D. native defeated Megan Webb of Drake 6-7 (6), 3-0. In her second match on Saturday, Goble fell to Zahra Finnigan 6-2, 4-6, 10-7.
 
Augustana returns to action Saturday when they host the Augustana invite.