Grace Tennis: Ladies Top Taylor; Tie Win Record
UPLAND – The Grace College women’s tennis team earned a milestone 5-4 win over Taylor on Tuesday.
The Lady Lancers (11-4) upset the Trojans in the quarterfinals of the Crossroads League Tournament, tying the program record for most wins in a single season in the process.
Grace’s 11th win ties the 2008 squad which finished 11-2.
Fifth-seeded Grace advances to the semifinals of the CL Tournament on Thursday, playing at No. 1 Indiana Wesleyan at 4 p.m.
“I couldn’t be more proud of these young ladies. I told them tonight how much I appreciate how they compete and do it the right way,” said Grace head coach Scott Moore. “Their hard work is paying off, and it’s awesome to see how they have turned Grace Women’s Tennis into a very strong program. I’m blessed to be able to coach this team.”
Grace had to recover from a deficit after doubles’ play. The Trojans (9-5) won two of the three doubles’ courts to take an early lead. Carrie Copeland and Jenna Jackson won Grace’s only doubles point, defeating Taylor 8-6 at No. 1.
Copeland and Jackson’s strong day continued in singles. Copeland won 6-3, 6-4 at No. 2, and Jackson held on 6-1, 7-5 at No. 3.
Jayna Huber’s three-set win (2-6, 6-4, 6-2) at No. 6 singles tied the score, setting the stage for a dramatic match at No. 1 singles.
Natalia Kurkova dropped her first set 6-1 at No. 1. But she clawed back to win the match 6-4, 6-3 to claim the victory for the Lady Lancers.