AUM lady netters lose heartbreaker at NAIA semifinals
MOBILE, Ala. (aumathletics.com) —- The defending NAIA National Champion Auburn Montgomery women’s tennis team dropped a 5-4 heartbreaker to Lindsey Wilson in the semifinals of the NAIA Women’s Tennis National Championship Friday at the Mobile Tennis Center.
Trailing 4-3 with the top two singles matches in progress, the Blue Raiders (21-4) tied the match with a three-set victory at the top position, before Alex Shchipakina clinched the match with a 6-3, 7-6 victory over Kelly Southwood at the No. 2 position.
The Warhawks fell behind 2-1 after doubles play, earning their lone point at the No. 2 position, where Celine Lenertz and Southwood rolled to an 8-1 victory.
AUM battled back and tied the match at two points apiece when Lenertz captured a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Maria Prados at the No. 4 position. The Warhawks took a 3-2 advantage following a straight-set win by Iris Verweij at the third spot, before the Blue Raiders rallied and tied the contest with a victory at the six spot. Alejandra Gil collected a 6-3, 7-5 win at the No. 5 position, setting up match point for AUM.
With the loss, the season came to an end for the Warhawks with a 21-4 record.
