Lady Tiger tennis team to play for first-ever national title

Advancing five singles players and all three doubles teams to the finals of the NJCAA Division I National Championships in Tyler, TX, the Cowley College women's tennis team will play for the first team title in the program's history when play resumes on Wednesday morning.

Cowley leads the tournament with 44 team points, while Hillsborough College (FL) is second with 42 points. Tournament host Tyler Junior College is third with 38 points.

"I am very proud of the girls," Cowley head coach Arianna Raga said. "With winning five singles and all three doubles, we feel confident heading into tomorrow."

Lady Tiger sophomore Arina Babenko will attempt to repeat as the national champion at No. 2 singles. While fellow sophomore Mariana Jimenez will play for a title at No. 6 singles.

Freshman Akari Tomoyose had the match of the morning as she trailed Tyler Junior College's Amelia Devlin 5-2 in the opening set before rallying to win 7-6. Tomoyose then cruised to a 6-1 win in set two to advance to the finals at No. 4 singles.

Fellow freshmen Yerkezhan Arystanbekova and Serena Pereyra remained nearly unbeatable as they advanced to play for national titles at No. 1 and No. 3 singles.

Cowley's lone loss came at No. 5 singles as freshman Zuzanna Witkowska lost to Tyler Junior College's Beyra Yaniklar 3-6, 4-6.

Cowley's No. 1 and No. 3 doubles teams advanced to the finals with straight-set victories before the Lady Tigers' No. 2 doubles tandem of Roselida Asumwa and Akari Tomoyose got locked in an epic three-and-a-hour battle with Tyler Junior College's Amelia Devlin and Zsi Spyrou.

After rallying to win the first set 6-4, the Lady Tigers lost the second set in a tiebreaker.

Asumwa and Tomoyose would fight off three match points for the Apaches before winning the third set 7-6 in a tiebreaker.

"That was a long doubles match, and I am so happy they pulled through," Raga said.

Finals action will begin Wednesday at 8 a.m.

Results:

DOUBLES

*No. 1 – Arina Babenko/Yerkezhan Arystanbekova (CC) defeated Angela Morano/Danique Vermue (Mississippi Gulf Coast) 6-1, 6-2 in the second round; defeated Victoria Conde Vendrell/Kitti Nemeth (ABAC) 6-2, 6-1 in the quarterfinals; defeated Isabela Mercante/Rima Yoshida (St. Petersburg) 6-3, 6-1 in the semifinals.

*No. 2 – Roselida Asumwa/Akari Tomoyose (CC) defeated Adriana Iturraide/Ozi Oiza Yakuba (Jacksonville College) 7-5, 6-1; win by injury withdrawal over Sanja Djundjevic/Tsitsi Claire Mahere (Weatherford) in the quarterfinals; defeated Amelia Devlin/Zsi Spyrou (Tyler) 6-4, 6-7(3), 7-6(6).

*No. 3 – Mariana Jimenez/Serena Pereyra (CC) defeated Annalyn Housley/Maggie Savell (Jones College) 6-2, 6-1 in the second round; defeated Italia Jones/Anne Van Binsberger (Wallace State) 6-0, 6-0 in the quarterfinals; defeated Stephanie Gopar/Beyra Yaniklar (Tyler) 7-5, 6-0 in the semifinals.

SINGLES

*No. 1 – Arystanbekova (CC) defeated Noelle D'Angellio (Wallace State) 6-0, 6-0 in the second round; defeated Randy Rakotoarilala (Meridian) 6-0, 6-0 in the quarterfinals; defeated Luciana Braga (Barton) 6-1, 6-0 in the semifinals.

*No. 2 – Babenko (CC) defeated Mikayla Pitt (Collin) 6-2, 6-2 in the second round; defeated Victoria Conde Vendrell (ABAC) 6-1, 6-2 in the quarterfinals; defeated Rima Yoshida (St. Petersburg) 6-2, 6-0 in the semifinal.

*No. 3 – Pereyra (CC) defeated Alexandra Luders (Wallace State) 6-2, 6-1 in the second round; defeated Daniela Tovar (Jones College) 6-0, 6-0 in the quarterfinals; defeated Alessia Clampi (St. Petersburg) 6-0, 6-0 in the semifinals.

*No. 4 – Tomoyose (CC) defeated Tsitsi Claira Mathere (Weatherford) 6-2, 6-2 in the second round; defeated Carmen Lyons (Barton) 6-2, 6-2 in the quarterfinals; defeated Amelia Devlin (Tyler) 7-6(3), 6-1 in the semifinals.

*No. 5 – Zuzanna Witkowska (CC) defeated Alyssa Glasgow (Collin) 6-0, 6-0 in the second round; defeated Lena Spears (Coastal Alabama) 6-1, 6-0 in the quarterfinals; lost to Beyza Yaniklar (Tyler) 3-6, 4-6 in the semifinals.

*No. 6  Jimenez (CC) defeated Journey Barajas (Mesa) 6-0, 6-0 in the second round; defeated Lindsay Johnson (Sauk Valley) 6-0, 6-0 in the quarterfinals; defeated Stephanie Gopar (Tyler) 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinals.