MOBILE, Ala. — A tremendous season for #8 Westmont Women’s Tennis (17-3) came to an end in the second round of the NAIA National Tournament. The Warriors, matched up with #9 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) fell 5-2 to the Eagles (12-10) in a marathon match.
“We knew coming in that it was going to a battle,” said Westmont head coach Kathy LeSage. “I don’t want this (loss) to overshadow a great season. It has been an amazing season and I am grateful we had the opportunity of making our goal to get to nationals.”
The Warriors went undefeated in Golden State Athletic Conference play this year and won the GSAC Tournament.
Embry-Riddle took two of three doubles matches in what proved to be the decisive factor. Embry-Riddle claimed an 8-2 win by Ana Gonzalez and Meena Bennett at number three, defeating Alyson Meyer and Fernanda Rivera.
Westmont’s Nicci Yvanovich and Grace Davis tied the match at one by scoring an 8-4 win at number two doubles over Paola Montero and Giovanna Tomiotto. However, Embry-Riddle’s Hui-l Huang and Kristina Marova won 8-5 at number one doubles, defeating Tara Yekrang and Jessica Cedillo.
The Warriors tied the match at two points each when Westmont’s Emily Keach claimed a 6-1, 6-2 win at number five singles over Gonzalez. Moment’s later, however, the Eagles won on both the number one and two singles courts to go up 4-2. Yvanovich suffered a 6-1, 6-1 loss to Huang at number one while Yekrang lost 6-2, 6-3 to Marova.
That meant that Westmont would need to win all three of the remaining singles matches to advance to the quarterfinals. At number six, Carolyn Stevens lost the first set 6-4 to Bennett but survived several match points to take the second set 7-6 (5). Meanwhile, on court three, Jessica Davis won by a score of 7-5 in the first set but fell to Montero in the second set 7-6 (2).
Neither match would get an opportunity to play out, however, because Embry-Riddle picked up its decisive fifth point on the number four court. Davis rebounded from a 6-1 loss in the first set to Tomiotto to take the second set 6-3. Tomiotto turned the tables, however, and took the third set 6-2 to put and end to the match and the Warriors’ season.
