Box Score Surprise, Ariz. - Make that 22 - 0.
For the No. 1 team in the nation, UIndy women's tennis, day one of the NCAA DII Championships has reached it's conclusion. Lined up with the No. 30 and 8th-seeded St. Mary Rattlers of San Antonio, Texas, the Hounds took a 4-2 victory, after an impressive doubles showing, to move them to the semis. Maintaining their undefeated record.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Doubles, as always for this squad, was strong for the Hounds as they came out guns blazing along with the Arizona heat. GLVC Freshman of the Year
Sofia Sharonova and
Maria Solnyshkina struck first with a 6-1 win to put the Hounds close to the doubles point. Finishing off doubles play was the best and undefeated doubles team in the nation,
Nikol Alekseeva and
Anna Novikova. They won the match 6-3 to capture the first point of the quarterfinal match-up.
Alina Kislitskaya and
Kristina Lagoda did not finish their match.
Right off of a doubles win, Alekseeva kept the ball rolling showing once again why she is the best singles player in the country knocking off No. 24 Ashley Penshorn of the Rattlers. First set Alekseeva dropped three games before shutting the door in set two winning 6-1.
The Rattlers, fighting off a sweep battled hard in the No. 2 slot against Novikova. After dropping set one 6-2, Novikova would fight hard in set two before falling 6-4 to give St. Mary their first point of the match. Kislitskaya would shut down the rally however with a straight set win 6-2, 6-4 putting the Hounds up 3-1.
The match continued to be back and forth with Sharonova fighting hard in a second set that went the distance. Dropping the close match 6-3, 7-5 to make it 3-2.
The final point came from the senior out of Moscow, Russia, Lagoda. The first set was all Lagoda with a 6-2 win, but the Rattlers Gabi Ioannou resisted the sweep winning set two 6-2. Finally the No. 46 player in the country ended the match with a 6-3 final set win to move the Hounds into the semis. The Hounds each jumped into Lagoda's arms to celebrate their victory, she was then given the honor to place the Hounds name in the semifinals section of the bracket.
Solnyshkina did not finish her match.
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds look to maintain their perfect record in the Copper State as they take on the four seeded Columbus State tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET.
