NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The No. 17-ranked Carleton College women's tennis team won its third consecutive MIAC Playoff title, this time defeating No. 25 Gustavus Adolphus College, 5-1, to secure the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.
"It was a great day for our tennis program," said Carleton head coach
Luciano Battaglini. "The women competed hard and played with great enthusiasm and support. I'm very happy that they were able to accomplish many things this season and consistently compete hard with great sportsmanship."
The Knights (17-0 in 2023-24) have won three straight MIAC Playoff championships and 7 of the last 11 conference tournaments. Carleton will be making its 10th all-time trip to the NCAA Championships (also 1995, 1996, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2022, and 2023). For the second consecutive season, the Knights are undefeated entering the NCAA Championships.
During Saturday's match, the Knights' top doubles tandem of
Mary Hose and
Amelia Asfaw improved to 12-0 on the year as they gave Carleton an early lead with an 8-2 victory at the top of the lineup.
Mariam Nechiporuk and
Ingrid Smith added an 8-3 triumph at No. 2 doubles, while Gustavus Adolphus (16-11) registered its team point with an 8-5 result at the third slot as Alli Laux and Pavla Yakimova edged
Kat Smiricinschi and
Ryann Witter.
Hose quickly posted her 10th consecutive victory, dispatching her opponent 6-2, 6-0 at No. 2 doubles.
Kiley Pickens improved to 16-0 on the year and gave the Knights a 4-1 lead in the team competition when she closed out a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 5 singles.
Asfaw won the race to see who would seal the team victory, notching a 6-1, 6-1 to move to 12-0 on the season. Witter led 6-2, 4-3 at No. 6 singles when play was halted.
In the other unfinished matches,
Miriam Shteyman was up a set (6-2, 2-5) at No. 4 singles, while Nechiporuk trailed Kaya De Bruijn 6-2, 5-2 at No. 3 singles.
Carleton has won its last 29 matches against MIAC opponents (regular season and postseason) dating back to April 16, 2022. The Knights are 55-3 (.948) overall spanning the last three seasons, with each setback coming against a nationally-ranked opponent, including two losses to teams ranked No. 1 team in the country.
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton's next opponent will be announced when the full 49-team bracket for the NCAA Championships is released during the selection show, which is scheduled to air on NCAA.com at 11:00 a.m. CT on Monday, May 6. The first round of the national tournament is slated for Friday, May 10.
