Paglia Holds on for Billiards Win

Paglia Holds off Late Challenge
Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour / Phoenix, AZ

by Skip Maloney

Angel Paglia withstood a one-loss side challenge by Stacy Novack to take home top honors in the Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour stop the weekend of April 25-26. The $500-added event, which included a WPBA qualifying slot for the winner, drew 20 entrants to Bullshooter’s in Phoenix, AZ.

Paglia’s three-match drive to the victory began with a 7-4 victory over Sara Miller from among the winners’ side final four. Trinh Lu joined her in the hot seat match after a hill-hill win over Susan Williams. Paglia made short of Williams and gained the hot seat with a decisive 7-1 win.

Novack, in the meantime, had moved into the money rounds with a 7-2 win over Terri Johnson-McCauley and followed it with a 7-4 win over Susan “Mad Hatter” Mello that set her up to face Miller. Sam Diep was waiting for Williams. It was Novack and Williams in the quarterfinals as Novack defeated Miller 7-3 and Williams got by Diep 7-2. Novack was heating up, as she followed with a 7-1 win over Williams that put her into the semifinals against Lu. Novack’s 7-2 win over Lu put her into the finals, having given up only 12 racks in her last 49 games.

Paglia, however, was unfazed. In the true double-elimination finals, she took command early and made a second set unnecessary with a commanding 7-2 win that completed an undefeated weekend.

Paglia withstood a one-loss side challenge by Stacy Novack to take home top honors in the Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour stop the weekend of April 25-26.

Results:
1st Angel Paglia $310
2nd Stacy Novack $205
3rd Trinh Lu $135
4th Susan Williams $90
5th Sara Miller $60
Samm Diep
7th Susan Mello $40
Ashea Erdahl
9th Terri Johnson-McCauley
Adrianne Ferguson
Barbara Lee
Mary Moench

Novack Hangs on for Billiard Win

Arizona Women’s Billiards Tour / Tempe, AZ

by Skip Maloney

Stacy Novack survived a strong bid by Ashea Erdahl to take first place in the Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour the weekend of January 24-25. The $500-added event, which drew 21 entrants to Kolby’s Korner Pocket in Tempe, AZ, also awarded Novack a qualification to an upcoming WPBA event.

Novack and Erdahl locked horns first among the winners’ side final four, where Novack dominated, sending Erdahl to the one-loss side with a 7-1 victory. Novack went on to gain the hot seat with a shut-out victory over Susan Mello, who’d sent Susan Williams west 7-3.

It was Melissa Morris and Michelle Micik waiting for Williams and Erdahl on the one-loss side. Williams and Erdahl advanced to the quarterfinals after identical 7-3 wins. Erdahl then tallied back-to-back 7-5 victories over Williams in the quarterfinals and Mello in the semifinal match for a second chance at Novack.

There would be two more identical scores in the double-elimination final match that followed. Erdahl scored the first 7-4 win to force a second set. In the second set, Novack got out to a 3-1 lead before Erdahl fought back to tie it at 4. It was as close as she’d get. Novack won the final three racks and took the top prize.

Stacy Novack survived a strong bid by Ashea Erdahl to take first place in the Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour the weekend of January 24-25.

Results:
1st Stacy Novack $325
2nd Ashea Erdahl $215
3rd Susan Mello $140
4th Susan Williams $95
5th Melissa Morris $65
Michelle Micik
7th Darlene Stinson $40
Angel Paglia
9th Susan Wilbur
Nina Tagley
Amanda Townsend
Terri Johnson-McCauley

Big Bang for Sholes and Keeney at AZ Women's Billiards Stop

Big Bang for Sholes and Keeney at AZ Women’s Billiards Stop
Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour / Peoria, AZ

by Samm Diep

Holly Sholes and Nicole Keeney had big weekends at the Arizona Women"s Billiard Tour in Peoria, AZ.

On November 1-2, Metro Sportz Bar in Peoria, AZ, hosted the final stop of the 2008 Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour’s season. The room recently reopened just in time for the event, which boasted a $500-added prize fund and a WPBA qualifier for one of their 2009 events. Of the 19 women that competed, 11 were vying for the qualifier.

Eight players returned Sunday for the main event. On the A side, local champ Holly Sholes defeated Denver’s Samm Diep, while tour stars Susan Williams and Susan Mello met up beside them. Mello narrowly escaped that match only to come up short against Sholes for the hot seat match.

On the one-loss side, up-and-comer Sarah Geoghan couldn’t outlast veteran Kristen Haney, while AWBT regulars Nina Tagley and Nicole Keeney were battling for tour point standings. In the end, Keeney triumped 7-3, securing herself a chance for tour champion.

Kathleen Lawless took a surprising early exit with a 7-5 loss to Diep and a 7-2 loss to Sara Miller. Miller was then eliminated by Keeney. Williams’ journey came to an end with close losses to Mello and Keeney. This left Mello and Keeney in contention for tour champion, while Sholes patiently waited for her next opponent.

View the Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour event tounament brackets

Mello came out ahead of the hill-hill match, leaving Keeney with a third-place finish. Now all Keeney could do was wait. Defeating Mello would have secured the tour championship for her, but Mello would need to double-dip Sholes in order to take it. In a valiant effort, Mello dodged the first set hill-hill. This would be her fourth double-hill match of the tournament. The fierce Sholes would not back down, however, taking the second set 7-3. This secured the WPBA qualifier spot to Sholes and guaranteed the tour championship and unpaid invitations to all the 2009 WPBA events to Keeney.

Results:
1st Holly Sholes $305 + qualifier
2nd Susan Mello $205
3rd Nicole Keeney $135
4th Susan Williams $95
5/6th Samm Diep $60
5/6th Kristen Haney
7/8th Nina Tagley $40
7/8th Sarah Geoghan

Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour Event Underway

Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour Event Underway
Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour / Peoria, AZ

by Inside POOL Staff

The Arizona Women

Metro Sportz Bar in Peoria, AZ, welcomed 19 eager women billiards players to the November 1-2 stop on the Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour. The room recently reopened just in time for the event, which boasts a $500-added prize fund and a WPBA qualifier for one of their 2009 events.

View the Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour event tounament brackets

The first two rounds are already complete, with the top eight ladies on the winners’ side ready to fight for their right to ultimately advance to the hot seat match. Samm Diep, Holly Sholes, Susan Williams, and Kristin Haney are among those who remain undefeated as yet.

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Ranola Wins Arizona Women's Billiard Tour Event

Ranola Wins Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour Event
Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour / Tempe, AZ

by Skip Maloney

Iris Ranola snapped off her second straight Arizona Women's Billiard Tour event at Corner Pocket Billiards in Tempe, AZ.

Iris Ranola fought off a strong challenge by Susan Mello from the one-loss side and captured her second straight win on the Arizona Women’s Billiards Tour the weekend of September 27-28. Ranola, who’d won the stop in Tucson late in August, joined a field of 23 women for the $500-added event, hosted by Kolby’s Korner Pocket Billiards in Tempe, AZ.

Among the winners’ side final four, Ranola shut out Nina Tagley to face Nicole Keeney in the hot seat match. Keeney, who’d sent Kathleen Wallace west with a 7-3 victory, followed her over with a 7-4 defeat at the hands of Ranola.

On the one-loss side, Mello and Susan Williams emerged from among the final 12, dropping Sara Miller and Angel Paglia, respectively, into a tie for seventh and then facing Wallace and Tagley over from the winners’ side. The two Susans dropped Wallace and Tagley into a tie for fifth and then battled through a double-hill match in the quarterfinals that sent Mello to meet Keeney in the semifinals. Mello followed her hill-hill victory over Williams with a solid 7-1 defeat of Keeney that moved her into the finals against Ranola.

Mello’s momentum in the semifinals helped to define a give and take struggle in the finals. Ranola, however, was not to be denied and closed it out at 7-5 to secure her second straight win on the tour.

Results:
1st Iris Ranola
2nd Susan Mello
3rd Nicole Keeney
4th Susan Williams
5/6th Nina Tagley
5/6th Kathleen Wallace
7/8th Sara Miller
7/8th Angelina Paglia
9/12th Ashea Erdahl
9/12th Liz Bernreuter
9/12th Krystal Edmondson
9/12th Trinh Lu

photo courtesy of Rixx Images