LPRT - 2013 Stockton Pro-Am - Young players causing upsets

You could excuse people in northern California for thinking that a seismic event occurred Friday night, because some young women caused some shock waves on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) in the Stockton Pro-Am. They beat the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th seeds in the Round of 16.

Maria Paz Muñoz defeated the 3rd seed Susana Acosta, 11-9, 11-7, 11-5, to reach the quarter finals for only the second time in her career. She'll face another Maria in the quarters, as Maria Jose Vargas defeated Hailey Miller, 11-8, 11-4, 11-4, in the 16s.

Sofia Rascon and Aubrey Kirch took out the 4th and 5th seeds after they both were upset winners in the Round of 32 earlier on Friday. Rascon defeated Adrienne Haynes, 11-9, 8-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9, and Kirch beat Cristina Amaya, 11-2, 11-1, 11-3.

Both Rascon and Kirch only played in one event last season: the season ending Ektelon Nationals, and each lost in the Round of 32. We believe it's the first quarter final appearances for both players and one of them will get to their first semi-final on Saturday.

In the bottom bracket, 2nd seed Rhonda Rajsich defeated Carla Muñoz, 11-6, 11-6, 2-11, 11-7, in the 16s, and she'll play Veronica Sotomayor in the quarters, as Sotomayor defeated 7th seed Krystal Csuk, 11-0, 11-1, 11-5.

Finally, LPRT #1 Paola Longoria and Frédérique Lambert, 11-7, 11-7, 11-4, and will play Da'monique Davis in the quarters Saturday, as Davis beat T. J. Baumbaugh, 11-4, 11-3, 11-8.

How significant are these results? Consider that Rajsich is the only quarter finalist under 30 years old. That's certainly different from almost every other women's tournament in several years.

The quarter finals begin Saturday at 9:05 AM PDT, and the will be webcast over the LPRT channel on the IRT Network.

LPRT 2013 Stockton Pro-Am, Stockton, Calif.

Round of 16

Paola Longoria d. Frédérique Lambert, 11-7, 11-7, 11-4
Da'monique Davis d. T. J. Baumbaugh, 11-4, 11-3, 11-8

Aubrey Kirch d. Cristina Amaya, 11-2, 11-1, 11-3
Sofia Rascon d. Adrienne Haynes, 11-9, 8-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9

Maria Paz Muñoz d. Susana Acosta, 11-9, 11-7, 11-5
Maria Jose Vargas d. Hailey Miller, 11-8, 11-4, 11-4

Veronica Sotomayor d. Krystal Csuk, 11-0, 11-1, 11-5
Rhonda Rajsich d. Carla Muñoz, 11-6, 11-6, 2-11, 11-7

Quarter finals

Paola Longoria v. Da'monique Davis
Aubrey Kirch v. Sofia Rascon

Maria Jose Vargas v. Maria Paz Muñoz
Rhonda Rajsich v. Veronica Sotomayor

Follow the bouncing ball....