Lady Tiger tennis team to play for the national title

After another successful day in the semifinals of the NJCAA Division I Women's Tennis National Championships held in Tyler, TX, the No. 2-ranked Cowley College Lady Tigers will have a chance to play for its first-ever national title on Wednesday.

After day three of the tournament, Cowley is tied with Hillsborough College with 41 team points. Tyler Junior College, which won the past two titles, slipped to third place with 37 points.

On Tuesday, Cowley got semifinal wins from five of six singles players and its No. 2 doubles team.

Results:

DOUBLES

*No. 1 – Isid Hernandez/Alexandra Melnikova (CC) defeated Elena Baughman Saunders/Sakurako Suzuki (State College of Florida) 6-3, 6-1; lost to Yeva Kononovych/Sydney Stone (Tyler JC) 2-6, 1-6.

*No. 2 – Arina Babenko/Ntokozo Zungu (CC) defeated Azul Barrios/Luciana Braga (Barton) 6-2, 6-2; defeated Natalia Michita/Hrudaya Shah (Tyler JC) 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.

*No. 3 – Camila Neyra/Mariia Koroleva (CC) defeated Martina Paillet/Natalia Vergara (Wallace State) 6-1, 6-0; lost to Lilia Jerry/Patricia Principal (ABAC) 6-3, 2-6, 4-6.

SINGLES

*No. 1 – Melnikova (CC) defeated Larissa Correa (Collin College) 6-1, 6-3; defeated Sydney Stone (Tyler JC) 5-7, 6-0, 6-4.

*No. 2 – Babenko (CC) defeated Victoria Federova (Collin College) 6-1, 6-4; defeated Esmee Andresen (Hillsborough) 6-4, 6-4.

*No. 3 – Hernandez (CC) defeated Ekaterina Orlova (Collin College) 6-4, 6-0; defeated Kanna Kobayakawa (St. Petersburg) 6-3, 6-3.

*No. 4 – Zungu (CC) defeated Telma Lorenzo Herreros (Weatherford)  6-2, 6-1; lost to Yeva Kramarova (Tyler JC) 3-6, 6-2, 2-6.

*No. 5 – Koroleva (CC) defeated Elena Baughman Saunders (State College of Florida) 6-0, 6-0; defeated Kyoka Ueno (St. Petersburg) 6-0, 6-2.

*No. 6 – Neyra (CC) defeated Margaryta Bugaienko (Collin College) 6-0, 6-2; defeated Luisa Renovales (Eastern Florida) 6-4, 6-4.