ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. -- The 21st-ranked and seventh-seeded Wayne State University women's tennis squad (21-5 overall) advanced to the NCAA Division 2 quarterfinals for the second consecutive season with a 4-1 triumph over 14th-ranked and 10th-seeded Washburn University (20-6) on Monday afternoon at Sanlando Park.
WSU will take its 13-match winning streak into Tuesday's quarterfinal match-up with second-seeded Nova Southeastern. The Sharks (24-4 overall) advanced following a 4-0 win over Indiana (Pa.). Ironically, the Warriors defeated the Crimson Hawks in last year's round of 16.
QUOTING INTERIM HEAD COACH YAHSHA MOORE
"Today's match was a great stepping stone for our team. We went out with the intention to play every point like it was our last, and I believe this is one of the many reasons on why we were successful today. We had the mentality to refuse to lose, and we're going into the next match humble, hungry, and excited for what we can do next."
DOUBLES
The Warriors won the doubles point with victories at the second and third flights following a 6-3 setback at first doubles by redshirt juniors
Anais Ruyssen (Nantes, France) and
Marta Komar (Inowroclaw, Poland). The Wayne State pair was ranked 25th nationally, while the Ichabods top duo entered the match ranked seventh nationally.
WSU's No. 2 doubles tandem of sophomores
Malak Arafat (Alexandria, Egypt) and
Martyna Szpakowska (Gdansk, Poland) posted a 6-3 victory making the third doubles match the deciding factor in the doubles point.
The Warriors pair of redshirt sophomore
Dea Gorgidze (Tbilisi, Georgia) and freshman
Justine Beaulieu (Montreal, Quebec) claimed a 7-5 triumph.
SINGLES
Beaulieu carried the momentum into singles with a straight set 6-0, 6-2 win at the sixth flight. Ruyssen, who was ranked 49th, upended sixth-ranked Maja Jung 6-3, 6-3 putting the Warriors in front 3-0.
Washburn notched a point at second singles as Arafat fell in three sets 1-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Wayne State clinched the match with Komar's triumph at No. 3 singles. After dropping the first set 6-3, Komar rallied for wins in set two (6-2) and three (6-4).
Szpakowska had split her first two sets at fourth singles, and was ahead 5-1 in the third set in a match that went unfinished.
Gorgidze also split her first two sets at No. 5 singles, and was trailing 4-3 in the third set in another match that went unfinished.
UP NEXT
Wayne State and Nova Southeastern have met four times previously. The first three were during WSU's spring break in 2019 (NSU 6-1), in 2020 (NSU 5-2) and in 2023 (NSU 5-2). The most recent match-up was this past February in the opening round at the ITA Indoor Nationals (NSU 4-0). Last year's quarterfinal appearance by the Warriors was the best in program history.
