TYLER, TEXAS – For the first time in the Division II era and the first time in program history, UT Tyler Women's Tennis has advanced to the final site and will compete in the NCAA Round of 16.
The Patriots were nothing short of brilliant on Friday on their way to a 4-0 sweep of No. 4 seed Lubbock Christian.
With the regional win, they will advance into the NCAA Round of 16 and now compete at the NCAA Championship. That will take place May 19-23 at Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex in Surprise, Arizona.
Lubbock Christian got started with a win in the #2 doubles line, putting the Patriots on the back foot. They responded in kind with a 6-3 win in the #3 line, forcing the #1 match to completion.
That #1 line featured the #2 pair in the ITA Rankings from the Lady Chaps against the #8 ranked pair of
Yona Bancarel and
Natalia Gorzny. The Patriots stormed out to a 5-1 lead, and then capped it off with a 6-4 win to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
In singles, that momentum reached a fever pitch with the Patriots taking three quick wins in each of the first three lines to shut the match down. The first of which came from Gorzny, who delivered a 6-2, 6-0 straight sets win to double the lead.
Maria Antonio Ortega followed suit just minutes later, capping off her own straight sets win at 6-1, 6-3 to put the Patriots on the brink of the win.
They didn't have to wait long, as Bancarel in line #1 would follow her doubles partner's lead with her own 6-2, 6-0 win to make it 4-0.
Match times and seedings for the NCAA Round of 16 in Surprise, Arizona will be announced next week.
