Topeka, Kan. – The McPherson College women's tennis team went 1-1 this weekend in the KCAC Tournament finishing as the tournament runner-up. The Bulldogs entered the tournament as the #2 seed and received an opening round bye. They played their first match on Friday in the semi-finals against the Ottawa University Braves. Coach President shuffled his doubles and singles lineups. In doubles, he split the no. 1 and no. 2 teams, pairing Khoroshevskaya and Paradise together, and teaming up Ortiz and Mundo. The no. 3 team of Maxey and Maples stayed together but he moved them to the no. 2 line and Ortiz and Mundo played no. 3. In singles, he swapped Khoroshevskay and Paradise at no. 1 and no. 2, and Maxey and Mundo on the no. 3 and no. 4 positions. The moves payed off as the Bulldogs were able to defeat the Braves 4-0, avenging an earlier loss to the Braves during the regular season.
With the win over the Braves, the Bulldog women squared off against their arch rivals the Southwestern College Moundbuilders in Saturday's final. The Bulldogs and Builders met six days ago in the regular season finale which Southwestern won 6-1. This time the match was played to decision, meaning once the required four points were achieved, the match was finished even if there were singles matches still being played. The Builders were just too much for the Bulldogs, taking the championship by a score of 4-1. The lone Bulldog win came at the no. 6 singles position from Kendra Maples.
Below are the women's scores vs Ottawa
|
Name
|
Singles
|
Record
|
|
Erica Paradise
|
No. 1
|
6-3, 4-6, 0-1 UF
|
|
Polina Khoroshevskaya
|
No. 2
|
W, 7-6 (3), 6-1
|
|
Vanessa Mundo
|
No. 3
|
UF
|
|
Grace Maxey
|
No. 4
|
UF
|
|
Kayla Ortiz
|
No. 5
|
W, 6-0, 6-1
|
|
Kendra Maples
|
No. 6
|
W, def
|
|
|
Doubles
|
|
|
Khoroshevskaya / Paradise
|
No. 1
|
W, 6-4
|
|
Maxey / Maples
|
No. 2
|
5-6, UF
|
|
Ortiz / Mundo
|
No. 3
|
W, def
|
Women's scores vs Southwestern.
|
Name
|
Singles
|
Record
|
|
Erica Paradise
|
No. 1
|
L, 7-5, 6-3
|
|
Polina Khoroshevskaya
|
No. 2
|
7-6, 5-2 UF
|
|
Vanessa Mundo
|
No. 3
|
L, 6-2, 6-4
|
|
Grace Maxey
|
No. 4
|
UF
|
|
Kayla Ortiz
|
No. 5
|
L, 6-3, 6-1
|
|
Kendra Maples
|
No. 6
|
W, 6-4, 6-2
|
|
|
Doubles
|
|
|
Khoroshevskaya / Paradise
|
No. 1
|
5-3 UF
|
|
Maxey / Maples
|
No. 2
|
L, 6-2
|
|
Ortiz / Mundo
|
No. 3
|
L, 6-2
|
"It was a really good weekend for the ladies despite the outcome," said President. "We went out in the semifinals and just played great tennis! The fight and urge to win was there from the get go! We really wanted to beat Ottawa after losing a close match to them in the regular season."
He added, "Coming into the final, we knew we had a good match ahead of us. Southwestern is a very good team and we went out and competed really well against them. We fell short in the end but fought in every match! With that brought the end to an unforgettable season with some unforgettable women! The first team and season as a head coach will always be the most memorable one as it sets the bar for what's to come! I want to thank these ladies for trusting me and accepting me. I am proud of them for how they grew on and off the court. We are thankful for our seniors Erica, Polina, Sydney and Vanessa, and wishing them all the best in their endeavors. Returners, see you next year!"
The Bulldogs finished the season at 11-4 overall, and were the regular season and tournament runner-ups. They have some pretty big shoes to fill next year as they will graduate four players, three of them from their top six.
