MOBILE, Ala. – After a perfect set up, the Lewis-Clark State College women’s tennis team made sure it took care of business by defeating Indiana Wesleyan 8-1 in the opening round of the NAIA National Championships on Tuesday.
At last year’s national tournament, LCSC lost in the first round for the first time in the last 13 seasons of making the trip. The team the Warriors lost to: Indiana Wesleyan by a 5-4 score.
On Tuesday, the Warriors took care of business by sweeping the three doubles matches and then winning five of the six singles matches, all in straight sets. The one singles match LCSC lost went three sets.
LCSC coach Kai Fong said last year’s tournament loss was something the team talked about all year and then when the first-round pairings were announced, he felt LCSC had all the motivation it needed to “remove that bitter taste from last year.”
Alyson Peck, playing at No. 6 singles, rolled to a 6-0, 6-3 win, which was LCSC’s most dominating performance on the day. The Warriors also had straight set victories in singles from Jamie Chan, Rilee Moorhead, Megan Smedley and Elaine Lee. Peck and Chan are seniors, while Smedley is a junior, Lee a sophomore, and Moorhead a freshman.
Sophomore Chelsea Gay joined senior Shefat Baishakhi for a 7-4 tiebreaker win in the final game to claim a 9-8 win at No. 3 doubles. Moorhead and Smedley won their doubles match 8-4, while Chan teamed up with Katherina Marsela, a freshman, for an 8-5 win.
The road, however, becomes extremely difficult for the Warriors in the round of 16 as they take on top-ranked Auburn Montgomery at 11 a.m., Pacific time. Auburn Montgomery has won the last five NAIA titles and 10 overall.
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) def. Indiana Wesleyan 8-1
Doubles: #1 - Jamie Chan/Katherina Marsela (LC) def. Lisa Massey/Eva Delk (IW) 8-5; #2 - Rilee Moorhead/Megan Smedley (LC) def. Julia Hedgebeth/Caitlin McGuire (IW) 8-4; #3 - Shefat Baishakhi/Chelsea Gay (LC) def. Courtney Kooyers/Laura Helm (IW) 9-8 (7-4).
Singles: #1 - Chan (LC) def. Hedgebeth (IW) 6-1, 7-5; #2 - Massey (IW) def. Marsela (LC) 3-6, 6-2 (10-7); #3 - Moorhead (LC) def. Delk (IW) 6-3, 6-3; #4 - Smedley (LC) def. McGuire (IW) 6-1, 6-3; #5 - Elaine Lee (LC) def. Kooyers (IW) 6-4, 6-2; #6 - Alyson Peck (LC) def. Helm (IW) 6-0, 6-3.
