Memphis, TN - In a hard-fought SAA Tournament final that swung back and forth before Trinity seized control, the 9th-ranked Trinity University Women's Tennis team edged 22nd-ranked Sewanee University 4-1 on Sunday afternoon at the Leftwich Tennis Center, claiming the championship in a match that demanded every bit of the Tigers' depth and resolve.
Trinity got on the board first in doubles at #3, where
Eva Kovachev (Arlington, Texas / The Oakridge School) and
Allison Vo (Houston, Texas / Memorial) were steady and sharp against Barbee and High, taking the court 6-4 to give the Tigers early momentum. Sewanee responded immediately at #1, where the 20th-ranked pairing ofÂ
Rosabella Andrade (Southlake, Texas / Ponderosa) and
Trinity Levy (Camarillo, California / Weil Tennis Academy) were upset 6-3 by Congeni and Wilson, to level the doubles contest and shift the pressure squarely onto the #2 court. There,
Katie Schmidt (Prairie Village, Kansas / Shawnee Mission East) and
Lauren Tin (Austin, Texas / Vandegrift) rose to the moment, grinding out a hard-fought 7-6 (7-4) tiebreak win over Foster and Lee to clinch the doubles point and send Trinity into singles with a 1-0 lead and all the momentum.
Singles opened with Trinity making an immediate statement. Levy at #4 was first off the courts, handling Lee with authority 6-1, 6-3 to push the Tigers' advantage to 2-0 and set the tone for what was to come. Tin followed closely at #3, dispatching Wilson 6-2, 6-1 in a crisp, composed performance that made it 3-0 and put Trinity one point from a championship. Sewanee's Foster then halted the run at #5, defeating Schmidt 6-2, 6-1 to hand the Tigers their only singles setback of the entire tournament and make things momentarily tense at 3-1.
With the title within reach, 46th-ranked Andrade stepped up at #2 in the biggest moment of the afternoon. She fought through a tight first set before pulling away to defeat High 7-5, 6-3, clinching the SAA Championship for Trinity and sealing the final score at 4-1.Â
At the time of clinch, Kovachev was locked in an epic battle against Congeni at #1, having dropped the first set 6-2 before battling back to force a second-set tiebreak at 7-6 (7-4).
Eva Kovachev (Arlington, Texas / The Oakridge School) and
Astrid Kerrman (Edina, Minn. / Edina) was also fighting hard against Davis at #6, trailing 6-4 before storming back to lead 6-2 in the second set when play was called.
From the drama of the doubles point to the clinical precision of the singles run, Trinity showed everything that makes a champion on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers weathered adversity, responded with conviction, and delivered when the SAA title was on the line.
Up Next
With the SAA trophy in hand the 9th-ranked Trinity Women's Tennis team set their sights on the NCAA DIII Tournament. Their opponent will be decided in the NCAA DIII Women's Tennis selection show on Monday, May 4th at 12:30 p.m. (ET).
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