SURPRISE, Ariz. -- No. 6-seed Augustana (S.D.) eliminated 11th-seeded Midwestern State in the Round of 16 at the NCAA Division II Women's Tennis Championship with a 4-0 victory over the Mustangs on Tuesday afternoon at Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex.
Simon-Maria Karaouza clinched the victory for the Vikings with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Jasmine Crain at No. 5 singles. Karaouza won her ninth straight singles match and improved to 16-3 for the season. Crain finishes her freshman campaign with a 12-11 record in singles for the Mustangs.
Augustana opened the dual by winning the doubles point.
Emilia Gyorgy and Selin Sepken suffered their first loss of the season at No. 2 doubles as Karaouza and Mia Garcia pulled out a 6-0 victory. The Midwestern State duo won their first 10 matches at the No. 2 spot after starting the season 9-6 at No. 1 doubles.
Camila Garcia and Jasmine Crain pulled Midwestern State even in doubles with a 7-5 triumph over Maria Fiacan and Fernanda Sandoval. It was the 20th win of the season for Garcia and Crain, who were 14-1 at No. 2 doubles to start the season and finished with a 6-4 record at No. 1 doubles.
Alessia Dolce and Hattie Berend raced out to a 4-0 advantage at No. 3 doubles and took a 5-1 lead, but Rhidaim Yang and Smlte Bakyte rallied to force a tiebreak in the decisive doubles match. Once again, Dolce and Berend established a lead, but the Vikings rallied from a 6-2 deficit to secure the doubles point with an 8-6 victory in the tiebreak.
Chelsea Seidewitz gave Augustana a 2-0 lead with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Berend at No. 6 singles. Seidewitz won her 10th consecutive match and improved to 17-2 for the season. Berend, a native of Wichita Falls, fell to 8-8 at No. 6 singles for the Mustangs this season.
Dolce saw an 11-match winning streak in singles come to an end as she fell to Yang at No. 4 doubles, 6-0, 6-2. Yang remains undefeated this season with an 18-0 record, winning for the eighth time at No. 4 singles. Dolce finished with a 13-4 record in the No. 4 position and was 17-7 in singles overall this season.
Sepken held a 6-1, 4-2 lead over Fiacan at No. 1 singles. Gyorgy trailed Mia Garcia, 2-6, 2-5, and Camila Garcia was trailing Sandoval 3-6, 3-4 when the Vikings clinched the victory and advanced to the quarterfinals.
Augustana will meet third-seeded Nova Southeastern on Wednesday after the Sharks defeated Slippery Rock, 4-1, in the Round of 16.
Midwestern State was making its third straight appearance in the Round of 16 and was a national semifinalist each of the last two seasons.
The Mustangs finish the season with a 19-7 record overall in Luis Diaz first season as the head coach.
-- MSUMustangs.com --
