MADISON – Concordia University Wisconsin avenged a narrow regular season match loss to the Lakeland College women's tennis team, ending the Muskies' banner season in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament semifinals.
The No. 3 seed Falcons pulled out a hard-fought 5-3 win in the dual match to advance to the tournament final and end Lakeland's hopes of a team trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Muskies finished their season with an 11-3 overall record, while Concordia advanced to the NACC tourney championship dual match to face top-seeded Edgewood College.
Lakeland defeated Concordia in the team's regular season match in October, the Muskies' first win over the Falcons since the NACC was formed in 2006 and their first win over CUW overall since 2003. The Falcons earned the edge in the match on Saturday, though, based on strong doubles play.
Concordia won all three doubles matches, including two by narrow margins. The pivotal result was at No. 1 doubles, where Emily McCormick and Elizabeth Carroll defeated Lakeland's
Victoria Powelson (
So.-Ishpeming, Mich.) and
Lynn Pipke (
So.-Greenfield, Wis.) 9-8, including a 7-3 win in the tiebreaker.
The Muskies' three wins all came at singles. Pipke handled Kristine Weber 6-2, 6-4 at No. 2 singles, while
Brittany Jurek (
Sr.-Gladstone, Mich.) dominated Amanda Ropiak at No. 5 singles, 6-2, 6-0.
Emily DesJardins (
Fr.-Munising, Mich.) also was successful in her first collegiate singles match, defeating Jessica Sapp 6-4, 6-2.
Powelson and McCormick were locked in a third set when the match was stopped after Concordia clinched its fifth win. The Muskies' other close call at singles was at No. 3, where Carroll defeated
Erica Hoffmann (
Sr.-Sheboygan Falls, Wis.) 6-4, 7-5.
Concordia's other wins came at No. 4 singles and at No. 2 and 3 doubles. Ashley Knoll defeated
Jenna Oberthaler (
Sr.-Iron Mountain, Mich.) 6-3, 6-0 at No. 4 singles, and Knoll and Weber also teamed up to beat Hoffmann and Jurek 8-5 at No. 2 doubles. Ropiak and Micaela Wagner also defeated Oberthaler and DesJardins 8-3 at No. 3 doubles.
