Women's Tennis Flies to 5-0 GAC Title Win

Women's Tennis | 4/23/2016 7:35:00 PM

BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Southeastern swept doubles play and used a pair of straight set victories in singles to cruise to a shutout victory over Arkansas Tech en route to its first Great American Conference Tournament Championship.
 
The win lifts the Savage Storm to 13-3 overall on the year and earns them an automatic bid into the NCAA Central Region Tournament with the full brackets being announced on May 3.
 
SE has won 11 in-a-row to end the season with the closest matches being a trio of 6-3 decisions.
 
Anna Buyukyan and Franzi Richtsfeld opened scoring by cruising to an 8-0 win at two doubles.
 
That was followed up by an 8-2 victory in the third position as Conchi Assiego and Maria Martinez stretched the lead to 2-0.
 
Alexsandra Reljic and Darija Catipovic provided one of the key wins en route to the title, holding on for an 8-6 win at the one doubles spot to wrap up the sweep and a 3-0 lead heading to singles play.
 
Richtsfeld would stretch the lead to 4-0 by picking up a straight-set 6-2, 6-1 win over Camilla Roca at the number five spot.
 
The final blow would come at the hands of Catipovic who fought her way to a 7-5 win in the first set and clinched the match with a 6-3 second-set victory for the fifth and deciding point.
 
The Storm had won first sets in two of the other unfinished matches.
 
Southeastern 5, Arkansas Tech 0
 
Singles competition
1. Anna Buiukian (SOSU) vs. M. Sedano Acosta (ATU) 6-2, 3-3, unfinished
2. Alexsandra Reljic (SOSU) vs. Tamara Bell (ATU) 6-2, 3-6, unfinished
3. Darja Catipovic (SOSU) def. Teresa Sanchez (ATU) 7-5, 6-3
4. Maria Martinez (SOSU) vs. Annabel Rowlands (ATU) 2-6, 1-2, unfinished
5. Franzi Richtsfeld (SOSU) def. Camila Roca (ATU) 6-2, 6-1
6. Ilga Racika-Racko (SOSU) vs. Laura Sanchez (ATU) 3-6, 2-2, unfinished
 
Doubles competition
1. Alexsandra Reljic/Darja Catipovic (SOSU) def. M. Sedano Acosta/Tamara Bell (ATU) 8-6
2. Anna Buiukian/Franzi Richtsfeld (SOSU) def. Laura Sanchez/Camila Roca (ATU) 8-0
3. Conchi Assiego/Maria Martinez (SOSU) def. Teresa Sanchez/Annabel Rowlands (ATU) 8-2
 
Match Notes:
Arkansas Tech 11-13, 4-3 GAC; Regional ranking #8
Southeastern 13-3, 6-1 GAC; Regional ranking #6
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (5,3)
Rankings are from the ITA...SE wins the GAC Championship and
advances to the NCAA Central Regional.