Apaches News
Wed, May 5, 2010 - [Women's Tennis]
TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Tyler Junior College women's tennis team moved closer Tuesday to clinching the championship of the NJCAA national tournament.

The Apache Ladies remained undefeated in all nine flights entering today's semifinals, as they extended their lead over second-place Lee College, 36-32.
    
Hillsborough Community College (Fla.), which held the No. 1 ranking for most of the season until losing to TJC, is in third place with 27 points. Hillsborough, unexpectedly, arrived at the national tournament without two starters, including the No. 1 singles player in the nation, TJC coach John Peterson said.

Collin County Community College is tied with Cowley (Kan.) for fourth place at 23 points.

The Apache Ladies extended their lead over Lee, the defending national champion, by winning head-to-head at Flight 6 singles. Julie Bell, a freshman from Lubbock, defeated Lee's Gina Stephenson 6-1, 6-2, in the quarterfinals.

The top seed Bell will next face former Lindale standout Kaycee Wood, who plays for Collin County. The fourth-seeded Wood, a former TJC netter, won her quarterfinals match 6-3, 7-5 over Meridian (Miss.).

Lee also suffered a crucial three-set loss at Flight 1 doubles to unseeded New Mexico Military.

The Lady Rebels are alive in six flights compared to the nine for TJC.

"Unless something freaky happens, the girls have put themselves at the threshold of (the championship)," Peterson said. "We didn't play perfect today, we were nervous in a few flights."

Peterson said Casey Bulls worked out the kinks from Monday's match with a solid 6-3, 6-4 win over seventh-seeded North Central Texas College on Tuesday.

TJC still has not dropped a set in the tournament.

"The tournament is going well, knock on wood," Peterson said. "I couldn't ask for more than to have all nine flights in the semifinals. If we're in all nine finals, then I would probably say the tournament is wrapped up. We've got to be nervous for another day."

TJC had a tough match at Flight 1 doubles, where Mariya Slupska and Brooke Dennis won 7-5, 6-4, over fifth-seeded Cowley. TJC trailed 3-0 in the opening set.

"(No. 1) doubles did a really good job of fighting their way out of that hole," Peterson said. "They got it to 3-2 and got broken, but played real well to close out the set."

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TJC Results

Quarterfinals

Singles

Flight 1 -- Mariya Slupska (2) d. New Mexico Military (8), 6-2, 6-4.

Flight 2

-- Sun Wen (1) d. Florida CC (5), 6-3, 6-1.

Flight 3

-- Antonia Kolovou (1) d. Jones County (Miss.), 6-1, 6-0.

Flight 4

-- Brooke Dennis (1) d. Collin County, 6-0, 6-1.

Flight 5

-- Casey Bulls (1) d. North Central Texas (7), 6-3, 6-4.

Flight 6

-- Julie Bell (1) d. Lee, 6-1, 6-2.

Doubles

Flight 1

-- Slupska-Dennis d. Cowley (Kan.) (5), 7-5, 6-4.

Flight 2 -- Wen-Kolovou (1) d. Eastern Arizona, 6-1, 6-1.

Flight 3

-- Anna Zurek-Hagar Caro (2) d. Glendale (Ariz.), 6-1, 6-1.