MOBILE, AL – The seven-seeded Louisiana State University of Alexandria defeated Marian University (Ind.), 4-3, in the second round of the NAIA National Championship.
The Generals recorded a pair of comeback singles wins from
Lucie Ivanova and
Esthella Valentina Gonzalez Saiza to seal the victory over the Knights.
LSUA lost the doubles point, dropping the second and third pairings. Nahia Echadie and Ivanova captured a 6-1 victory over Yasmin Imamniyazova and Anna Lopez Torres.
Echaide, who is ranked 13
th in the ITA's NAIA Women's Tennis Singles rankings, took down Imamniyavoza in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, in No. 1 singles.
Ekaterina Orlova followed with a straight-set 6-2, 6-4 win over Liliane Alinquant in No. 5 singles.
The Generals dropped the No. 4 and No. 2 singles, leaving only Ivanova and Gonzalez Saiza in the No. 3 and No. 6 singles left on the courts.
Needing both duals to clinch the match, attention turned to the active courts.
Ivanova had lost her first set to Michelle Irigoyen, 6-2, and was trailing 4-2 in the second set before battling back to level the dual with a 7-5 win in the second set. Ivanova claimed the third set 6-2, tying the match at 3-3.
Gonzalez Saiza won the opening set over Paloma Caceres, 6-1, but dropped the second set 6-4. Caceres opened up a 4-1 lead in the final set but Gonzalez Saiza won the next five games to clinch the match and send the Generals to the NAIA National Championship Quarterfinals.
LSUA plays two-seeded Lindsey Wilson College tomorrow, May 14, at 1:00 PM.
