Castellvi bows in Texas tourney

Vilmarie Castellvi of the Lady Vol tennis team won her semifinal match on Saturday in the consolation tournament of the Omni Hotels Intercollegiate Indoor Championships at Farmers Branch, Texas, but fell in the final later that day.

Castellvi, the nation's top-ranked player, faced a pair of contenders from Stanford on the afternoon, matching up first with No. 15 Erin Barnikow in the semifinals. Castellvi defeated Barnikow in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1, before squaring off with unranked Alice Barnes in the final. Barnes took the first set, 6-3, but the Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, native stormed back with a 6-2 win in the second set. Barnes, however, was too much for Castellvi as she took the match in the third set by a 6-3 count.

Castellvi finished the fall season with an 11-3 mark and two tournament titles to her credit at the adidas Invitational in September and the St. Mary's Fall Classic in October. She won five matches against top 25 opponents and claimed 10 victories over ranked players. Castellvi now has 106 career singles triumphs, which stands at fourth all-time in school history.