For the first time in their schools history, Southwest Missouri State captured the Missouri Valley Conference Womens Tennis Championship at the Evergreen Racquet Club on Sunday.
After dropping the doubles point to Indiana State, SMS had to battle back and win four singles matches to take the title. Southwest Missouri State head coach Jim Giachino credits the win to his teams self-belief.
We had the tools, and the self belief to pull through, said Giachino, and that self belief made all the difference. Some of the singles matches that we lost during the regular season we were lucky enough to be able to win today.
Winning the Valley title gives Southwest Missouri State automatic entrance into the NCAA team tournament.
Southwest Missouri State 4 Indiana State 2
April 28, 2002 Evergreen Racquet Club
Singles
1. Ia Zozrashvili (SMS) def. Carolina Salinas (INS) 6-4, 6-3
2. Oyuki Cruz (SMS) def. Jen Earl (INS) 7-5, 6-1
3. Maria Amato (SMS) vs. Magda Narczewska (INS) DNF
4. Marta Rubina (SMS) def.Margie McGraw (INS) 1-6, 6-3, 6-2
5. Karen Human (INS) def. Laura Miller (SMS) 6-1, 7-5
6. Ala Alvarez (SMS) def. Lisa Herndon (INS) 6-3, 6-2
Doubles
1. Salinas/Earl (INS) def. Cassandra Godfrey/Zozrashvili (SMS) 8-4
2. McGraw/Human (INS) def. Alvarez/Cruz (SMS) 9-8
3. Rubina/Amato (SMS) def. Narczewska/Laura Whitney (INS) 8-3
