Score: No. 2 Keiser Seahawks 3, No. 1 Georgia Gwinnett Grizzlies 4
Records: Keiser (19-6), Georgia Gwinnett (18-0)
Venue: Mobile Tennis Center
Location: Mobile, Ala.
No. 2 Keiser women's tennis came within two points of the title but ultimately fell to No. 1 Georgia Gwinnett in the NAIA National Championship match on Saturday evening in Mobile, Alabama. The Seahawks jumped ahead early, taking the doubles point with wins on courts one and two. In singles, the Grizzlies grabbed the first point on court four before Keiser countered with wins on courts five and three. Georgia Gwinnett would make their comeback in the third sets, winning on courts one, two, and six to claim the title.
- The Grizzlies tied the match on court four before No. 34 Perez Flores defeated No. 16 Carney to put KU back in front.
- Court three finished next with P. Apisah defeating No. 17 Teodora Jovic 6-4, 6-1 to make it 3-1 as the remaining three courts went to a third set.
- Georgia Gwinnett got the momentum back on court one with No. 1 Lespes outlasting No. 3 V. Apisah 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.
- Shortly after on court two, No. 19 Lysykh battled back to a 6-7(2), 7-5, 6-4 win over No. 7 Visnevscaia.
- With the crowd moving to court six, Vidanovic managed to fight from down 2-5 in the final set but was not able to complete the comeback, falling to No. 62 Fernandez 6-1, 6-7(5), 4-6.
When asked about the match, Head Coach
Daniel Finn had this to say: "This one is a hard pill to swallow. Obviously, when you're as close as the girls were today to capturing that championship, it's going to sting. That said, I just want to say how proud I am of the girls for the season and especially the way they competed and represented the university and our program today. Each and every one of them laid everything they had out on the line and nearly pulled it off. The tough part is that the girls did not deserve to lose this match today. Unfortunately, tennis can be an extremely cruel sport and sometimes the ball just doesn't bounce your way. In the end, I feel for our senior Isabella who has given so much to our program and has sacrificed so much for us to be where we are. I just want to say thank you to her. She needs to know that she's always part of our family here. I also want to thank the coaches and staff who worked countless hours for us to get where we are. Mac, Nikita, Cheyenne, Ryan, Kris Swogger, Dr. Vonk, Coach Cantillo, and I could keep going honestly. This success from this season is a team effort from everyone. In the end, the ladies should keep their heads held high. I'm proud of what they accomplished this season and how they performed throughout this tournament. They should be proud of all that they have accomplished, and that is what is going to continue to help the returners build our program for years to come."
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