EDMOND, Okla. - The UIndy women's tennis team swept its way through one of the most prestigious events on the Division II calendar this week, winning the 2021 ITA DII Team Indoor Championship. With a finals win over GLVC-rival Southwest Baptist University in 4-0 fashion, UIndy walked out of the Edmond Center Court with three consecutive sweeps against some of the best teams in the nation.
 

National Champions!

Indy Women's Tennis is leaving #ITAIndoors with three clean ?? and a championship ?? pic.twitter.com/mZGVkuo2LB

— ITA (@ITA_Tennis) February 28, 2021

Facing the Bearcats for the second time a week, the Hounds leaped out early with two convincing doubles victories to secure the first teams point. Seniors Alina Kislitskaya and Kristina Lagoda finished their match first, fitting the theme of the tournament by not dropping a single game in a defiant 6-0 win. They were followed by junior Maria Solnyshkina and sophomore Sofia Sharonova who nearly replicated the dominance of the seniors with a 6-1 win. Juniors Nikol Alekseeva and Anna Novikova were just one game away from winning their match before the Hounds clinched the doubles point.

For singles it was like clockwork as the Hounds stayed on fire with Novikova striking first with a shutout win in two straight 6-0 sets. And the trophy became closer and closer for the Hounds as Lagoda snatched up the next point in identical fashion with two 6-0 sets.

And to clinch the championship it was Sharonova in the No. 6 singles spot, taking down her Bearcat opponent in just two sets. The first set saw Sharonova drop four games but come out on top, 6-4. But to stay the theme of singles thus far, she secured the win with a 6-0 second-set win.

Alekseeva, Kislitskaya and Solnyshkina all did not finish their matches but joined their teammates to hoist the trophy over head as the Hounds left the Edmond Tennis Center the ITA DII Indoor Team National Champions.

HOUND BYTES
Head coach Malik Tabet on the Hounds' dominance...
"It was unbelievable, being the No. 1 seed you get an easier draw initially… we were excited, I thought my players came in very focused, very disciplined. Both matches with SBU, with Central Oklahoma and Midwestern, they were tricky matches and the kids really handled them the right way. They played tough. The results showed. They were hungry for this title and they deserved it."

Tabet on the feeling around the team...
"They're very excited. This is a big deal. You're the best indoor tennis team in the country. Obviously it's not the NCAA Tournament but in our tennis world, this is a really big deal. They're all excited. They worked hard for it and the work paid off."

Tabet when asked if not giving up a single point was expected...
"No not at all; that's the cherry on the cake. We played every point, every match the right way and we just showed dominance. I was very pleased with my players' mental discipline. When you get into that with the time that my kids have, you're gonna have to beat us, you're gonna have to take points off us."

UP NEXT
With all the momentum in the world, the Hounds return to their own Uindy Tennis Center to face off with in-region Wayne State on Friday, March 5 at 4 p.m.