MOBILE, Ala. – The Lewis-Clark State College women’s tennis team found out first hand how powerful the Auburn Montgomery tennis program is when the Senators rolled to a 5-0 win over the Warriors at the second round of the NAIA Tennis National Championships at the Mobile Tennis Center on Wednesday.
Auburn Montgomery, which has been ranked No. 1 in the NAIA all season, is gunning for its sixth straight NAIA national title and 10th overall. AUM is attempting to become the first program to win six straight national titles. Flager of Florida is the only other program to win five straight.
AUM, 19-4 overall, made short work of the Warriors in doubles play to start the day. The Senators won two of the three doubles matches in straight games at 8-0, while LCSC freshman Rilee Moorhead and junior Megan Smedley lost their match 8-4.
Play then changed to the six singles matches where AUM won the No. 5 singles match at 6-0, 6-3 and the No. 6 singles match at 6-1, 6-2. Because the victories gave AUM five on the day to clinch the win, the remaining four singles matches were stopped and not completed.
The Warriors were making their 13th straight appearance and 16th overall at the national tournament. The team was ranked No. 20 in the final NAIA poll and finishes the season with a 12-12 record.
AUM advances to Thursday’s quarterfinal round.
Auburn University Montgomery 5, Lewis-Clark State 0
Doubles: #1 – Tereza Veverkova/Delia Sescioreanu (AUM) def. Jamie Chan/Katharina Marsela (LCS) 8-0; #2 – Yi Ching Chen/Julie Verdy (AUM) def. Rilee Moorhead/Meghan Smedley (LCS) 8-4; #3 – Dominika Zuzulova/Whitney Byrd (AUM) def. Shefat Baishakhi/Chelsea Gay (LCS) 8-0
Singles: #5 – Byrd (AUM) def. Elaine Lee (LCS) 6-0, 6-3; #6 – Josefine Strom (AUM) def. Alyson Peck (LCS) 6-1, 6-2.
Doubles: #1 – Tereza Veverkova/Delia Sescioreanu (AUM) def. Jamie Chan/Katharina Marsela (LCS) 8-0; #2 – Yi Ching Chen/Julie Verdy (AUM) def. Rilee Moorhead/Meghan Smedley (LCS) 8-4; #3 – Dominika Zuzulova/Whitney Byrd (AUM) def. Shefat Baishakhi/Chelsea Gay (LCS) 8-0
Singles: #5 – Byrd (AUM) def. Elaine Lee (LCS) 6-0, 6-3; #6 – Josefine Strom (AUM) def. Alyson Peck (LCS) 6-1, 6-2.
