FOND DU LAC, Wis. (SabreAthletics.com) – The Marian University women's tennis team capped the 2012 regular season with a dominating, 8-1, Senior Day victory over Alverno College at Buttermilk Creek Park this afternoon, Sept. 25, and clinched a spot in the Northern Athletics Conference team tournament in the spring.
Following a ceremony that honored Sarah Brooker, Reilly Connaher and Chelsey Will, the Sabres went out and swept three doubles matches. Their momentum carried into singles play as they won five out of six match-ups en route to the convincing team win. The victory clinched Marian a spot in the spring team tournament after pushing their record to 9-7 overall, 7-4 in the NAC.
Meanwhile, Alverno fell to 3-7 (3-7 NAC) with the loss.
Ann Goyke and Brynn Hartzell set the tone with an 8-4 win at #1 doubles, while the #2 team of Connaher/Will and #3 pairing of Brooker and Rachell Stoffel followed suit with 8-3 wins, respectively.
Goyke, Hartzell and Will cruised to straight sets victories at #1, #3 and #4 singles. Connaher overcame dropping a 6-4 first set with a 6-3 second set win and a 10-8 victory in a super third set.
Stoffel battled to take a hard-fought straight sets win, going away in a second set tie-breaker, 6-0, 7-6 (7-4). Brooker nearly pulled off the win against her opponent, but Alverno's Damanique Drake was just too much to overcome, winning 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 11-9.
Marian will take part in the Edgewood College Invitational, Oct. 6. The NAC tournament will not take place until Monday, April 29, when first round action gets underway.
