Women's Tennis Completes Comeback to Advance to NAIA Tournament Quarterfinals

MOBILE, Ala.- The women's tennis team was in action at the 2024 NAIA Women's Tennis National Championship on Wednesday. The team's first match came in the second round after getting a bye past the first round. The sixth-seeded Bulldogs faced the No. 11 seed Louisiana State University-Alexandria Lady Generals. 

The matches at the tournament are being played in a first-to-clinch format, meaning the first team to win four out of the seven possible points won the match regardless of the outcome of the remaining matches.

TWU took the first point of the match. Julia Richardet and Mercedes Chasset won the No. 2 doubles match 7-5 while Astrid Staksrud and Ivet Prat won the No. 3 doubles match 6-3, giving the team a 1-0 lead.

The battles in the doubles foreshadowed singles bouts where every match was completed. LSU-Alexandria put the team in a hole by taking the lead in the singles matches. Laia Berne (No. 3) and Prat (No. 5) won their singles matches 6-3, 6-1, and 6-3, 6-2, respectively, putting the match in a 3-3 tie as the team tried to complete a comeback. The comeback was completed by Olivia Alcala with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win in the No. 1 singles match giving the Lady Bulldogs a 4-3 match win, advancing the team to the next round.

The next round sees Tennessee Wesleyan (18-3) face No. 3 seed Lindsey Wilson College in the quarterfinals on Thursday. The match is set to begin at 2:00 p.m.