MOBILE, Ala. -- Marissa Klein (FR/Evansville, Ind) won the last five games to overcome a third set deficit in the final contest of the title game. Klein’s win secured the NCCAA National Championship for Indiana Wesleyan University women’s tennis as they won 5-4 win over Oklahoma Baptist. The title is the fifth in program history and first since 2008.

Game Vitals

• Tournament:  NCCAA National Tournament - Championship Match
• Score:  Indiana Wesleyan - 5   |   Oklahoma Baptist - 4
• Records:  Indiana Wesleyan 32-6   |   Oklahoma Baptist 23-4  
• Location:   Copeland-Cox Tennis Center   |   Mobile, Alabama 
   

What Went Down

• Katie Wilson (SR/Middletown, Ind.) and Lucia Solis (FR/Tucuman, Argentina) gained a huge 8-4 victory at No. 1-doubles. It was the first loss of the season for the OBU tandem and it featured the last two ITA-NAIA Doubles national champions.
• Kelsey Vessels (JR/Roanoke, Ind.) and Ellen Hornet captured a tight 9-8 (8-4) victory at the No. 3-doubles position. The victory gave IWU the 2-1 edge heading into singles play.
• Alex Mella (FR/Libertyville, Ill.) and Rachel Bottorff (JR/Newburgh, Ind.) lost 8-4 at No. 2-doubles.
• Rachel Bottorff made quick work at No. 3-singles 6-0, 6-4 as IWU led the team match 3-1.
• Alex Mella followed with a 6-1, 6-3 loss at No. 4-singles and Katie Wilson was defeated 6-4, 6-3 at No. 1-singles as Oklahoma Baptist tied the contest at 3-3.
• The final three matches were in the third and final sets to set up the tight finish.
• Lucia Solis fell 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 at No. 2-singles as Oklahoma Baptist led 4-3.
• Mikayla Marazzi (JR/Abbotsford, BC) retied the score 4-4 as she clinched the No. 5-singles point with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 victory.
• IWU’s Marissa Klein and OBU’s Caroline Abbe were the final players on the court as they played the No. 6-singles match with the NCCAA title on the line. Klein had lost the first set 7-6 but forced a third set with a 6-1 victory. Abbe led 4-1 in the third set but Klein responded and won the last five games to secure the national championship with a 6-4 third set victory.

Coach’s Corner

• “Today was unbelievable tennis. The girls showed incredible heart, courage, and fight today. It was a complete team effort. This victory was a result of nine months of hard work, perseverance, and a grinding tough schedule. Our theme this year was ‘We Believe’. The girls bought into this theme that we first and foremost believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and our Savior and we believe that we can compete with the best teams in the nation. It was great to see our girls united all year.”  -- IWU head coach Eddy Shigley
   

Extra! Extra!

• Katie Wilson and Lucia Solis were voted onto the NCCAA All-Tournament Team as a doubles unit. Katie Wilson, Lucia Solis, and Rachel Bottorff were named NCCAA All-Tournament Team for singles.
• The NCCAA championship is the fifth for the women’s tennis program. Indiana Wesleyan last won the NCCAA title in 2008.
• Indiana Wesleyan went three years without a NCCAA national champion before this season. Women’s tennis joins the volleyball program as NCCAA national champions for the 2015-16 season.
• The Wildcats have won 29 NCCAA national championships as an athletic department.
  
   

Next Time Out

• Indiana Wesleyan remains in Mobile, Alabama as the Wildcats will compete in the NAIA National Championship that is contested May 17-21 at the same complex the NCCAA Tournament was held. IWU earned one of eight first round byes in the tournament and will play on Wednesday, May 18 in the Second Round. Indiana Wesleyan plays the winner of No. 9 Middle Georgia State and No. 24 Morningside (Iowa).