Long term, UTC’s Kayla Jones has plans to be a dentist to straighten teeth and give people a reason to smile.

But today, her strong serve and solid ground strokes gives opponents, who are usually on the short end of the score, a reason to frown.

In the TVOC tennis tournament at Manker Patten this week Jones has put a few opponents on the sidelines as she is in today’s championship semis in women’s and mixed open doubles.

An A & B student and a Biology major for the Mocs, Jones, a rising junior, is working on her academics this summer as well as her net game, as she is taking a summer school course in Physics.

She started hitting tennis balls at the age of three, placed third in her first tournament at the age of five and later was a TSSAA state singles runner-up bat White Station High School (Memphis) before enrolling at UTC in the fall of 2012 ... 

UTC Has Good Showing in TVOC

A few other Mocs playing in the open division include rising freshman Samantha Caswell who is in the women’s doubles semis with former Baylor School teammate McCall Morgan and in the mixed open doubles with UTC’s Pavels Grigorjevs .. Former Mocs player Morrow Chamberlain has teamed with Bill Brown and they are in the Men’s 65s doubles semis ... Mocs All-American Sue Bartlett is in the Mixed 45 Doubles with Mike Parker

Men's 45s Singles

1 Ken Koelling def. Gino Bulso, 6-1, 6-4; (2) Philip Johnson def. Bryan Humphries, 6-3, 6-4; (3) Bayly Taff def. Al Victoria, 6-1, 6-3; (4) Stephen Crofford def. Jonathan Looney, 6-1, 6-4

Men's 45s Doubles

1 Wesley Cash-Ken Koelling def. Chris Peoples-Michael Stephens, 6-1, 6-0; (2) Ned Caswell-Robert Evans def. Brian Humphrey Robert Mecoli, 6-0, 6-1 Stephen Crofford-Bill Davis def. Scott Culbertson-Corte Iarossi, 6-0, 6-3; Gino Bulso-Steven Riley def. Miles Walker-Lonnie White, 6-4, 7-5

Men’s 55s Singles

Quarterfinals

1 Geoff McDonald def. Tinsley Dozier, 6-3, 5-7, 10-7; Keith Belcher def. (4) Glen Fanelli, 6-0, 6-1; (3) Hank Ream def. Jim Flanagan, 6-3, 6-1; Robert Fisher def. (3) Jonathan Hart, 4-6, 6-2, 10-2

Men’s 55s Doubles

Quarterfinals

1 Ken Koelling-Scott Shepherd def. Larry Kaye-Karl Gifford, 6-0, 6-1; Richard Johnson-Clive Kileff def. Scott Culbertson-Corte Iarossi, 6-2, 6-4; Rob Healy-Thorny Strang def. Glen Fanelli-Jim Flannagan,  6-4, 6-1; (2) Robert Fisher-Daryl Massengill def. Tinsley Dozier-Jim Robert, 6-3, 6-2.

Men’s 65s Singles

Quarterfinals

 Marci Anthony def. Jack Scruggs, 6-0, 6-0; (3) Chuck Maland def. David Edmundson, 6-1, 6-2; (4) Ken Campbell def. Stephen Baker, 6-3, retired; (2) Dennis Strickler def. Robert Dueease, 6-0, 6-1

Men's 65s Doubles

1 Chris Brown-Clive Kileff def. Steohen Baker-David Edmundson, 6-4, 6-4; Bill Brown-Morrow Chamberlain def. Walter Kurtz-Robert Dueease, 6-4 6-2; Ken Campbell-Darrell McDonald, 6-4, 6-2; (2) Dennis Strickler-Chuck Maland def. Joe Pate,-Mike Westerman, 6-0, 6-1

Men’s Open Singles

1 Gonzales Austin def. (5) Pavels Grigorievs, 6-0, 6-1;   Carl Abalos def. (5) Eric Diaz, 6-3, 6-2; (4) Forrest Edwards def. Dejon Bivens, 7-5, 7-6 (5); (2) Wayne Montgomery def. Salif Kante, 6-4, 6-4

Men’s Open Doubles

1 Elliott Orkin-Gonzales Austin def. Ankit Chopra-Andrew Rogers, 6-1 6-1 ; Vikram Hundai-Evgeny Silitski def. (5) John Hangstefer-Roberto Vierio, 6-2, 3-6, 10-8; Carl Abalos-Salif Kante def. (4) David Henry-Will Reynolds, 6-2, 3-6, 10-4; (2) Wayne Montgomery-Eric Diaz def Boby Brouner-Evan Watkins, 6-0, 6-3

Women’s Open Singles

1 Marie Casares def. Emily Hangstefer, 6-1, 6-1; Carmen Blanco def. Kayla Jones, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3; (4) Natalia Maynetto def. Jordana Klein, 6-2, 6-3; (2) Courtney Colton def. Kaylene Chadwell, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2

Women’s Open Doubles

1 Marie Casares-Courtney Colton def. Jovana Pecovski-Alison Storie, 6-4, 6-1; Samantha Caswell-McCall Morgan, walk over; Kelsey Coots-Kayla Jones def. Sarah Evans-Tarah Garner, 6-2, 6-1; (2) Carmen Blanco-Natalia Maynetto def. Harper Caswell-Maggie Crumbliss, 6-2, 6-0

Mixed Open Doubles

1 Gonzales Austin-Courtney Colton def. Daniel Hangstefer-Emily Hangstefer, 7-6, 6-3; (3) John Hangstefer-Kayla Jones def. Brooke Cordell-Andrew Rogers, 6-2, 6-3; Pavels Grigorjevs-Samantha Caswell def. Ian Chadwell-Kayleen Chadwell, 3-6, 7-5, 11-9; (2) Marie Casares-Will Reynolds def. Harper Caswell-Lucas Plesky, 6-2, 6-1

contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net