SAN ANTONIO — Visualizing this moment all season, it finally arrived.
St. Mary's Women's Tennis stood holding the 2014 NCAA Tennis Championship banner after trumping No. 30 Cameron 5-0 in the South Central Regional Sunday, advancing to the national round of 16 for its shot to compete for the national championship title.
The Rattlers will face New York Institute of Technology in the final 16 at 7 a.m. CT Weds., May 14 at the site of the NCAA D-II Women's Tennis National Championship at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Fla.
The Bears (24-5), who hosted and won the East #1 regional 5-0 against No. 40 Chestnut Hill, is ranked No. 11 in the nation and will make their second straight trip to the round of 16, this time to face StMU.
Earning their right into the national tournament, the No. 17 Rattlers have now advanced further than the program ever has since entering the NCAA. In the 1983-84 season, the Rattlers advanced to the NAIA National Tournament.
The 2014 Rattlers (16-4) have already made history for making the national tournament for the first time in program history, but for one Rattler, it's her second time coming.
While her fellow teammates will experience the national stage for the first time, transfer
Jamie Lee Denton has been there once before.
Denton (So., San Angelo, Texas) advanced to the semifinal round of the national tournament last season with her former teammates of Abilene Christian, but now, is it with her Rattlers.
"We just had this goal set the entire time," said a smiling Denton after the Rattlers' team photo with the NCAA banner. "To make it nationals."
Denton and the Rattlers achieved their season-long goal after a dominating win Sunday, downing Cameron 5-0.
Denton played as a No. 6-7 player for her Abilene Christian team that advanced to the national tournament, but is now one of the Rattlers' top players who will compete for the title.
"It's good to have the middle (No. 3-4) players be able to win," said Denton of her position on the Rattlers' squad.
Denton played lights out the Rattlers' No. 3 player, winning StMU's first point in singles and fourth point for the match quickly, winning 6-2, 6-0.
The Rattlers went into singles play in their best scenario; up 3-0 after sweeping doubles play, making Denton's win a big one as it put the Rattlers' goal in clearer sight.
No. 3 doubles
Joanie Bryant (So., San Antonio) and
Ariana Saldana (Sr., Cedar Park, Texas) won with a statement 8-0 win while No. 1 doubles
Mariana Rong (Jr., Jinan, China) and
Cristina Lopez (So., San Antonio) and No. 2 doubles
Felicity Delgado (Jr., Universal City, Texas) and Denton won 8-3 and 8-6, respectively.
Joanie Bryant then picked up the Rattlers' decisive point shortly after Denton completed her match in another powerful showing, winning 6-2, 6-1.
"Doubles was crucial," said Bryant after the regional win. "So we weren't going to let up any. It was definitely good winning all three doubles because it just kept us going."
St. Mary's has now won all three of its postseason matches 5-0, winning two in the Heartland Conference Tournament before sweeping Cameron Sunday.
But as Denton described, the Rattlers are aware of stiffer and tougher competition upcoming in the national tournament.
"We know it's not going to be 5-0 (in the tournament)," said Denton, recounting the Rattlers' earlier season matches against three strong, top ranked Florida teams which the Rattlers went 1-2 who will likely be in the national tournament.
The Rattlers will now be put to the test, representing St. Mary's in hopes of earning the university's sixth athletic national title.
Both the Rattlers and the NYIT Bears, who house two nationally ranked players, enter the national tournament on a six-game winning streak.
In the single-elimination tournament, the Rattlers hope to continue their streak to 10 as it takes four matches to win the national title.
