Women's tennis advances to regional finals for first time
CLAREMONT, Calif. – For the first time in school history, the Chapman University women’s tennis team has earned a berth in the NCAA Division III West Region championship match. The No. 12-ranked Panthers advanced on the strength of a 5-1 victory over No. 23 University of Redlands in the second round of the tournament at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on Friday.
Panthers’ freshman Genna Ford clinched the victory from the No. 5 position with a straight sets victory over Sutton Anderson, 7-6 (4), 6-2. Ford had trailed in the first set before rallying to force and win the tiebreaker. The rookie then pulled away in a close second set to win the final three games and the set 6-2.
Earlier, Chapman put Redlands (13-10) on the brink of elimination thanks to a straight sets win by the West Region’s top-ranked Liz Lewis. The junior three-time All-American defeated Redlands’ Paige Sumida 6-2, 6-3 to improve to 25-1 this season in singles play.
Chapman (13-4) now faces Division III No.7-ranked Pomona-Pitzer on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. for the West Region title and a berth in the national championships May 25-27 in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The victory was Chapman’s first-ever as a team in the NCAA postseason and the Panthers’ second win over Redlands this season.
The Panthers opened play with a clean sweep in doubles to take a commanding 3-0 lead. Lewis and junior All-American Kelley Fox lived up to their No. 1 ranking in the West by avenging an April loss to the Bulldogs’ Sumida and Whitney Waters. Lewis and Fox led the entire way, winning 8-6 over the region’s No. 3-ranked doubles team.
Chapman’s freshman duo of Ford and Amy Logan cruised to an 8-2 win in the No. 3 doubles match. Meanwhile, freshman Candace Scholler and sophomore Cassady Sirois won the No. 2 match 8-5, giving the Panthers a much-needed 3-0 advantage heading into singles play.
by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director
Match Results:
Doubles:
1) Liz Lewis/Kelley Fox (CU) def. Paige Sumida/Whitney
Waters (UR) 8-6
2) Candace Scholler/Cassady Sirois (CU) d. Rachael Miller/Sara
Yoshinaga (UR) 8-5
3) Genna Ford/Amy Logan (CU) d. Nicole Gerentine/Sutton Anderson
(UR) 8-2
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1
Singles:
1) Lewis (CU) def. Sumida (UR) 6-2, 6-3
2) Fox (CU) vs. Miller (UR) 6-2, 4-6, 2-2
3) Scholler (CU) led Waters (UR) 6-4, 4-6, 4-2
4) Yoshinaga (UR) def. Sirois (CU) 3-0 ret.
5) Ford (CU) def. Anderson (UR) 7-6 (4), 6-2
6) Gerentine (UR) led Logan (CU) 6-4, 4-6, 4-2
Order of finish: 4, 1, 5
West Region championships website:
http://www.pe.pomona.edu/sports/women/wten/2009-10/news/ncaaregionals