2023 ASC Women’s Tennis Championship Central
ABILENE, Texas –
UT Dallas women’s tennis captured the 2023 American Southwest Conference Championship, defeating Hardin-Simmons 5-1 on Saturday (Apr. 29) afternoon at Streich Tennis Center.
This marks the fifth championship for the Comets (12-6) and fourth in a row. The previous three have been matchups with the Cowgirls (11-7).
UT Dallas earns the ASC’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Championship Tournament, which begins Friday, May 5. The selection show will be on NCAA.com Monday (May 1) at 11 a.m. (CT).
The Comets jumped out to a 2-1 lead after completing doubles. In flight one, Saumya Vedula/Rebecca Jackson scored an 8-5 win. In flight three, Suzuka Nishino/Tisha Nakakes-Nguyen put UTD up with an 8-1 victory.
Hardin-Simmons did secure a point in doubles flight two with an 8-4 result by Skylar Rust/Priscilla Schimming.
Nakakes-Nguyen won flight six on singles 6-3, 6-2. Nishino scored a 7-5, 6-1 win in top flight singles. The Cowgirls were batting to stay in contention in three of the flights, but flight five’s win from UTD Megan Zeng propelled the Comets to the title.
All-Tournament Team
Most Valuable Player - Tisha Nakakes-Nguyen, UT Dallas
Abbey Faggard, Mary Hardin-Baylor
Rebecca Jackson, UT Dallas
Suzuka Nishino, UT Dallas
Kayla Pena, Concordia Texas
Priscilla Schimming, Hardin-Simmons
Skylar Rust, Hardin-Simmons
Saumya Vedula, UT Dallas
Day 2 Semifinals Recap
UT Dallas and Hardin-Simmons picked up victories in each of its semifinal matches on Friday (April 28) to advance to the 2023 American Southwest Conference Championship. Both ASC regular season champions in their respective divisions advanced to face each other in a third consecutive tournament final. The Comets have won each of them, as they seek to move their ASC Championship title streak to four. The match will be at host Hardin-Simmons at 1 p.m.
UT Dallas (11-6) opened its tournament play with a 5-0 sweep over Concordia Texas in the first semifinal match. The Comets secured wins in the doubles with Saumya Vedula/Rebecca Jackson winning flight one 8-2. Elyssa Ducret/Megan Zeng scraped out an 8-7 victory that went to the final points to win flight two. A sweep in doubles happened with an 8-3 final by Suzuka Nishino/Tisha Nakakes-Nguyen. Zeng and Nakakes-Nguyen had wins in singles flights five and six, respectively, to complete the sweep.
Hardin-Simmons (11-6) defeated Mary Hardin-Baylor 5-1 in the afternoon semifinals tilt. Lauren Schaeffer/Jonnah Smith earned an 8-6 win in doubles flight one. The Cru did score a point on an 8-4 result in the second doubles flight behind Skylar Rust/Priscilla Schimming. The Cowgirls went ahead 2-1 in doubles after Rebeca Almanza/Abbey Faggard won 8-5 in the last flight. In singles flights one, two and six the Cowgirls claimed points to complete the win. Laurel Coleman won 6-2, 6-2 in flight one and Taja Lawrence won 6-1, 6-3 in flight six. Schaeffer won 6-1, 6-1 in flight two to advance the Cowgirls to the championship round.
Day 1 Quarterfinals Recap
Concordia Texas and Mary Hardin-Baylor opened the 2023 American Southwest Conference Women’s Tennis Championship Tournament with victories in the quarterfinals on Thursday (April 27). The Tornados (13-4) advance to take on No.1 seed in the East Division UT Dallas at 10 a.m. on Friday (Apr. 28). The Cru (8-9) advance to face the No. 1 seed in the West Division and host Hardin-Simmons at 2 p.m. on Friday (Apr. 28).
Concordia Texas defeated LeTourneau in a 5-0 victory to begin the morning with the first quarterfinal match. Isabella Wiik/Kaitlin Stevens and Isabella Cepeda/Kayla Pena each produced an 8-1 victory in their respective doubles flights, while Claire Austin/Trinity Klamecki edged the YellowJackets flight three duo Emma Boulanger/Kylie Weeks 8-6. CTX would dominate in singles play as Wiik secured flight two 6-1, 6-2 and Austin wrapped up the sweep in flight six 6-4, 6-0.
Mary Hardin-Baylor picked up an afternoon victory in the second quarterfinal match over East Texas Baptist, 5-2. The Tigers gained a point in the doubles flight one with Addy Seward/Fernanda Ruiz Burkart winning 8-3. UMHB countered with Emily Higgs/Erin Kittredge and Abbey Faggard/Amanda Almanza winning the remaining two flights by 8-6 totals to claim a 2-1 advantage. Faggard picked up a sweep in flight six, while Bryan had a singles flight three result of 6-2, 6-1. Kittredge won singles flight one 6-4, 8-1 to push the Cru forward to the next round.