Women's Tennis | 10/28/2017 6:58:00 PM

MIDLAND, Mich. -- The Wayne State women's tennis team (10-2 overall, 10-2 GLIAC) advanced to the finals of the GLIAC Tournament on Saturday after a 5-3 win over second-seeded Northwood (10-2 overall, 9-1 GLIAC).

The third-seeded Warriors earned a win at No. 1 doubles, as junior Dasha Kuznetsova (Moscow, Russia) and senior Liz Ghellere (Ararangua, Brazil) won 8-2 over Tanya Pavych and Carol Arnez-Mercado. 

Wayne State entered singles play with a deficit, however, as NU's Olesia Riabchuk and Kate Beretovenko won over senior Andreea Mitrache (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Warren Cousino) and freshman Khadija Da-Silva (Burlington, Ont. / Robert Bateman S.S.) at the second flight (9-7).  In the third flight Vasilisa Mikhaylova and Elizaveta Velichko winning 8-3 over freshmen Linda Liong (Tanjung Kidurong, Malaysia) and Irena van Meer (Amsterdam, Netherlands).

The Warriors dropped at point at No. 5 singles, as Liong fell 6-4, 6-4 to Beretovenko.  That was the final point the Timberwolves could find, however, as Wayne State swept the top four singles flights to seal the match.

At No. 1, Mitrache avenged her singles loss with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Riabchuk.  At the second flight, Kuznetsova rallied for a 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 win over Pavych, with Da-SIlva notching a 6-4, 6-3 win over Arenz-Mercado.  Ghellere won 6-4, 6-3 over Mikhaylova in the fourth flight.

The win avenges a 6-3 loss to the Timberwolves on NU's campus on Oct. 10.

UP NEXT

The Warriors will compete in Sunday's championship match at 8:15 a.m. against No. 1 Grand Valley State. The Lakers account for WSU's only other loss, 5-4, on Oct. 15.