KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Washburn used dominant play in the single matches to beat the UNO women's tennis team 5-4 in semifinal action on Saturday evening at the Plaza Tennis Center. Because of the threat of weather on Sunday, the Mavericks will not play in a third place game against the other semifinal loser, Truman State.
The women's championship match between Washburn and Northwest Missouri State will be held indoors at the Clayview Country Club on Sunday at noon.
After dropping the number one doubles match, the Mavericks won both number two and three doubles matches. UNO's #Heather Hottman and Samantha Thomas# beat Whitley Zitsch and Alyssa Castillo, 9-7, at number two, and #Kelsey Haas and Mary Lausten# prevailed over Annie Doole and Amanda Gayer, 8-2, at number three.
The Lady Blues would go on to win the first four singles matches to earn the win. UNO won number five singles as Thomas beat Doole, 6-2, 6-3. The Mavs also won number six singles as #Kelsie Olson# defeated Gayer, 6-3, 6-2.
The women's team advanced to the evening's championship semifinals because of a dramatic 5-3 win over Southwest Baptist University earlier in the day. UNO won all three doubles matches. #Rachel Faulk and Traci Moklestad# won number one singles over Johanna Olsson and Jolee Cook, 8-4. Hottman and Thomas earned a victory in number two singles over Jenna Hendrickson and Trish Moceo by the same score. Haas and Lausten won number three doubles over Crystal Guiot and Sarah Sentlinger, 8-1.
Southwest tied the match by winning the number 1-3 singles matches before Hottman won the fourth singles match and Olson won a nail-biter of a sixth singles match, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6).
The UNO men's team finished its inaugural season of competition with a 5-0 loss to third-seeded Southwest Baptist in first round action. A pending fifth place match with Emporia State was cancelled due to weather. The Maverick men finish the season 8-9.
Washburn will take on Southwest Baptist in the men's championship match on Sunday at 9 a.m. The third place match was cancelled.
