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Scoreboard

2019_Womens_Tennis_HC_Champions
4
Winner St. Mary's STMUWT
2
St. Edward's SEU
Winner
St. Mary's STMUWT
4
Final
2
St. Edward's SEU

Match Recap: Women's Tennis | | RattlerAthletics.com

Women's Tennis wins seventh-straight Heartland Championship

By Heather Kennedy | St. Mary's Athletics Communications

ARLINGTON, Texas – The storied history of women's tennis at St. Mary's ended the Heartland Conference chapter with its seventh-straight Tournament Championship, but it was anything but ordinary for the Rattlers.

For the first time since 2012, the Blue & Gold entered the tournament as something other than the top seed, but that didn't deter the ladies as they swept DBU 4-0 in the semifinals to set up a rematch against rival St. Edward's for the fifth-straight season. The Rattlers (14-7) avenged a loss against the #19th-ranked Hilltoppers (18-5) in the regular season, winning 4-2 in the last-ever Heartland Conference Championship on Saturday afternoon.

"I have to say that this particular Championship will undoubtedly hold a very special place in my heart and memories for a long time to come," Head Coach Lisa Dausin said. "The road to this tournament was our toughest, arguably ever. No true 'home' matches which usually help us pull through the very close losses, the toughest schedule we have ever had facing the top teams in the nation almost weekly, injuries, and tweaking the lineup and doubles teams very late in the season, made this one of the most challenging. It was definitely not our typical path to the Conference Tournament. It certainly didn't come as a surprise however. Dallas Baptist is extremely talented, very well coached and competed very hard. We also knew the exact same about St. Edward's as well as how determined their senior-led women were this entire year.  They played with confidence and forced us to earn every point we got."

The action began with a 6-0 sweep at No. 1 doubles of senior Ally Maciel and junior Isabelle Bergman over the Hilltoppers Beth Hayward and Valentina Martinez. The No. 3 pair of senior Rani Goodland and freshman Ashley Penshorn dropped a hard-fought 6-4 set to Elisa Guillen and Laura Galvan, but the Rattlers earned the doubles point when the No. 2 team of senior Alex Corder and senior Hannah Petersen pulled off the 6-4 win over Paola Carpio and Loli Perim.

As the action turned to singles, St. Mary's took the 2-0 lead when Penshorn won in straight sets over Guillen at No. 6 singles, 6-3, 6-1.
Things were looking good as both Goodland and Petersen won their first sets at No. 3 and 4 singles, respectively, but the Hilltoppers bounced back to win both of those matches in three sets to knot the match at 2-2.

The next to finish on court was Corder at No. 2 singles, who won a hard-fought three-set battle which included a tie-breaker in the opening set. Corder won the breaker 7-3, dropped the second set 6-1, but bounced back to win the deciding set 6-3.

Maciel lost a heart-breaking opening set 10-8 in a tie-breaker at No. 1 singles, but fought back to get a break in each of the last two sets to win 6-4, 6-4 and clinch the victory for the Rattlers, 4-2.

"My team and I have had the joy of being conference champions the past three years," Maciel said. "But this one definitely means the most to me. We came into the tournament as the underdogs, having lost the regular season title. However, we came into this tournament with such determination and hunger and I could not be prouder of my teammates! The will and the fight on every court is what got us the championship."

The Rattlers advance to the NCAA Division II South Central Regional, which takes place May 13-14 at a site to be determined.

"We had talked so much about the 'tradition' of the program and carrying the torch for all those that had previously worn the Blue and Gold," Dausin continued. "Not to mention so very many supporters that have come on board over the years and helped us achieve success in so many ways. But in the end, we came to a point because of those disappointing losses that we knew we had to focus on THIS team, THIS season, and THIS, the last, Heartland Championship Tournament. I have always known that in reality there is only so much a coach can do to persuade or convince his or her players to rise and embrace the 'big' moment in competition.  It must come from within the players themselves.  And, as it had occurred 'traditionally' and historically in the past, our players made a decision to make it happen. The reward of that decision is all theirs and I could not be more proud they let me hang around to celebrate it with them."

Match Breakdown #19 St. Edward's vs #40 St. Mary's:
Doubles Competition:
1: Ally Maciel/Isabelle Bergman (StMU) def. #4 Beth Hayward/Valentina Martinez (SEU), 6-0
2: Alex Corder/Hannah Petersen (StMU) def. Paola Carpio/Loli Perim (SEU), 6-4
3: Elisa Guillen/Laura Galvan (SEU) def. Rani Goodland/Ashley Penshorn (StMU), 6-4
Order of Finish: 1,3,2

Singles Competition:
1: #20 Ally Maciel (StMU) def. Beth Hayward (SEU), 6-7 (8-10), 6-4, 6-4
2: Alex Corder (StMU) def. Kate Malazonia (SEU), 7-6 (7-3), 1-6, 6-3
3: Valentina Martinez (SEU) def. Rani Goodland (StMU), 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-2
4: Laura Galvan (SEU) def. Hannah Petersen (StMU), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
5: Isabelle Bergman (StMU) vs. Paola Carpio (SEU), 6-4 (8-6), 1-6, 6-6 (Unfinished)
6: Ashley Penshorn (StMU) def. Elisa Guillen (SEU), 6-3, 6-1
Order of Finish: 6,4,3,2,1
 
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