Georgia Southern University
UT Arlington
HEADED TO THE FINAL! GS Women's Tennis Continues Run With 4-1 Win Over UTA
4/20/2019 4:08:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Eagles advance to the 2019 Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship match as the No. 8 seed
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. - Georgia Southern women's tennis will be advancing to its first conference tournament final since 1986 after the eighth-seeded Eagles pulled off a second straight upset, this time downing fourth-seeded UT Arlington, 4-1, in the 2019 Sun Belt Conference Tournament semifinals on Saturday at the Peachtree City Tennis Center in Peachtree City, Ga.
The Eagles (14-12) downed top-seeded Appalachian State, 4-3, on Friday to make its first semifinal appearance in a conference tournament since advancing to the 2003 SoCon Tournament semifinals. Today, the Eagles knocked off the Mavericks (16-9) to earn just its second finals berth in school history. Georgia Southern advanced to the New South Women's Athletic Conference (later the TAAC, then Atlantic Sun Conference) tournament final in 1986.
Tomorrow, Georgia Southern plays for its first women's tennis team tournament title in school history, facing second-seeded South Alabama at 11 a.m. in Peachtree City. The Eagles won the 1995 and 1996 SoCon Tournaments when it was an individual flighted tournament, not a team tournament.
"What an amazing day to be an Eagle!" Georgia Southern Head Coach Sean McCaffrey said. "These ladies just keep showing up and refuse to give in during their matches. I am beyond proud of them. I've been a part of so many amazing teams in my career, but I have to say that the heart and courage that this team demonstrates is quite unique. They have continuously improved each and every day over this season and lived by the motto "1% better every day", and I am simply in awe of all of them.
"Emi, Ari and Luisa came up so big in singles and our doubles was about as on-point as I've seen all year," McCaffrey said. "Paula and Luisa have really come on strong as this season has progressed. Elizabeth and Mila also did a great job of getting their first sets, allowing Luisa a chance to breathe a little easier on her court. It was a great team win!"
When the two teams met in their regular season matchup, UTA took a 4-2 win in Statesboro. The Eagles won the doubles point in that matchup, and did the same on Saturday as Arianne de Winter and Emilia Bujan defeated Liz Chileno and Nanaka Takeuchi, 6-4, at No. 1 doubles, while Paula Boixader and Luisa Hrda downed Carla Pons and Momoka Horiguchi, 6-3, at No. 2 doubles.
Singles play began with the No. 1-3 singles matches taking the court due to playing indoors. UTA took a straight-set win at No. 3 singles with Lucia Natal downing Boixader, 6-4, 6-2, but the Eagles would claim three-set wins at No. 1 and No. 2 singles to take a 3-1 lead. Bujan outlasted Pons, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, in the No. 2 singles match, then de Winter claimed a 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-2 win over Horiguchi at No. 1 singles.
When the 4-6 singles matches took the court, the Eagles took the first sets in two of the three as Mila Hartig at No. 5 singles and Elizabeth Goines at No. 6 singled held early leads. But it was Luisa Hrda at No. 4 singles who came through with the clincher, as she overcame a first-set tiebreak loss to win her match over Takeuchi, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-4, to send the Eagles to the final.
"We will enjoy this for a bit, but then we have a pretty big task ahead of us as we prepare for an extremely strong team in South Alabama," McCaffrey said. "They are the best coaches, they have some of best the talent at every position, and they have been to the final so many years in a row. But they are not Georgia Southern. Belief in oneself is a powerful thing. And I believe this team is hungry and ready for tomorrow's challenge."
Georgia Southern 4, UTA 1
Singles competition
1. Arianne de Winter (GS) def. Horiguchi, Momoka (UTA) 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2
2. Emilia Bujan (GS) def. Pons, Carla (UTA) 7-5, 3-6, 6-2
3. Natal, Lucia (UTA) def. Paula Boixader (GS) 6-4, 6-2
4. Luisa Hrda (GS) def. Takeuchi, Nanaka (UTA) 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 6-4
5. Chileno, Liz (UTA) vs. Mila Hartig (GS) 5-7, 6-1, 1-0, unfinished
6. Boza, Almudena (UTA) vs. Elizabeth Goines (GS) 3-6, 5-2, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. Bujan/de Winter (GS) def. Chileno, Liz/Takeuchi, Nanaka (UTA) 6-4
2. Boixader/Hrda (GS) def. Horiguchi, Momoka/Pons, Carla (UTA) 6-3
3. Boza, Almudena/Natal, Lucia (UTA) vs. Charlotte van Diemen/Lindsay Truscott (GS) 5-4, unfinished
Match Notes: Georgia Southern 14-12, 4-6 Sun Belt
UTA 16-9, 6-3 Sun Belt
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (3,2,1,4,5,6)
2019 Sun Belt Women's Tennis Championship - Match 6
Match was played indoors
Players Mentioned
