MOBILE, Ala. - Indiana Wesleyan women's tennis made program history Thursday, advancing to the Fab Four of the 2021 NAIA Women's Tennis National Championship. The Wildcats defeated No. 12 Middle Georgia State, 4-1 in the Final 16 to advance.
The Wildcats face NAIA tennis powerhouse No. 1, Georgia Gwinnett, tomorrow at 9 a.m. The Grizzlies have won the last four NAIA National Championships and boast a record of 23-1 in National Championship play. GGU is riding a 40-match win streak heading into the match.
COACH SHIGLEY'S THOUGHTS
- Our girls came out with a lot of energy and set the tone of the match by playing excellent doubles and winning the doubles point. We carried that momentum into singles and dominated Middle Georgia State from top to bottom. We made it to the elite 8, two previous times, but fell short. It is a phenomenal accomplishment for these girls to make the final 4 for the first time in our program history! The girls put in the work this season and played exceedingly well all year that earned us a high seed in order to see this goal accomplished. This is not the most talented team we have ever had; however, they just keep getting the job done and overachieving.
- More importantly, we have had multiple coaches and players compliment both teams on our attitude and demeanor, both on and off the court. One of the things we keep hearing is something like this, "I don't know what it is about the tennis program at IWU, but it is different from everyone else." This is the best compliment we can receive. We are blessed to work with some amazing young adults. We believe that difference is Jesus Christ.
MATCH NOTES:
- #12 Middle Georgia State 7-5
- #4 Indiana Wesleyan 33-4
- Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (5,6,3,4)
- NAIA National Championships - Quarterfinals
SINGLES PLAY
- 1. Maddie Bemisderfer (IWU) vs. Lou Kowalski (MGSU) 5-7, 6-1, 5-1, unfinished
- 2. Lena Golz (IWU) vs. Margot Fontaine (MGSU) 6-1, 1-6, 5-2, unfinished
- 3. Alexia Desmet (MGSU) def. Thewuni Devaraja (IWU) 6-0, 7-5
- 4. Thais Mendez (IWU) def. Steffany Bermudez (MGSU) 6-4, 7-5
- 5. Aynara Armas (IWU) def. Franziska Nobis (MGSU) 6-2, 6-2
- 6. Melanie Dveksler (IWU) def. Rebeca Lopez (MGSU) 6-4, 6-3
DOUBLES PLAY
