DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Augustana women's tennis team started off its 2019 campaign with an impressive performance at the 2019 Drake Invitational. Although there were no team results kept, several Vikings had solid performances over the weekend and earned three consolation championships. 

On Friday morning, Laura Arce Vieyra and Taylor Jackson earned an 8-5 victory over Absisan/Lorentz of Nebraska-Omaha to advance to the next round later on that day. After the first-round victory, the pair matched up against Lazarevic/ S. Tranberg of South Dakota. Unfortunately, the duo fell 8-5 to end their weekend in flight 'A' doubles. 

Freshman Emily Granson and Aleksandra Kistanova paired up together in flight 'A' doubles as well. They dropped their first match 8-4 to Omaha to move into the consolation side of the bracket. After a second-round bye, the duo took on Nylund/Girbau from South Dakota on Saturday and took the match 8-5 to advance to the consolation championship on Sunday. With an 8-4 win over the host school Drake the pair earned the consolation championship.

In flight 'B' doubles action, Grace Goble and Anca Rusu teamed up to take the consolation championship with an 8-7 (3) win over Creighton's Aquirrel/Higueras on Sunday. The pair defeated doubles teams from Northern Iowa and Omaha to reach the championship on Sunday. 

Rebecca Falkner and Annika Teske took a first-round win 8-5 against Crockett/Linscott from UNO to advance to the second round but would be upended 8-2 by Kurahashi/Lazarova from Wichita State to end their doubles play. 

Over in singles action, the Vikings had Arce Vieyra and Jackson compete in the flight 'A' singles bracket. Arce Vieyra would drop the first round match 6-1, 6-2 to Carmen Palumbo of Drake before claiming her consolation title with a default win over Sille Tranberg of South Dakota. 

Jackson dropped her first match to Sarah Wilcox 6-1, 6-4 of Creighton to move her to the consolation side of the bracket. Jackson picked up a bye on Saturday before dropping her last match later that day to Tranberg 6-4, 6-0.
 
Kistonova and Granson competed in the flight 'B' singles bracket for the Vikings. Kistonova dropped her first match 7-6, 7-5 to Berta Girbau of South Dakota and would end her weekend losing 6-0, 6-3 to Maria Tatarmikova 6-0, 6-3. Granson fell in the first round 6-2, 6-4 to Emma Carr of UNI before picking up two wins on the consolation side to advance to the championship. Granson earned consolation runner-up after falling to Tatarnikova 7-5, 6-1. 

Rusu and Goble competed in Flight 'C' singles for the Vikings. Both Goble and Rusu had strong performances on the weekend. Goble went 2-2 and earned runner-up honors on the consolation side of the bracket. Rusu earned the highest placing of all the Vikings on the weekend after placing third after defeating Valentina Caro 8-4. 

Teske and Falkner rounded out things for the Vikings in flight 'D' singles. Teske defeated Morganne Borsh of UNI 6-2, 6-3 before falling to Shakhnaza Zhanatova of UIU 6-7(3), 7-6(9), retired. Falkner also pulled out a first-round victory before ultimately falling to Deimante Krivickaite of UIU, 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-4.
  The Vikings host the Augustana Invite on Saturday and wrap up play at Creighton on Sept. 27, before heading off to the ITA Regional Tournament in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Oct. 3.