Wildcats cruise past Drury
5/14/2009 3:15:00 AM | Women's Tennis
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. ? The ACU Wildcats advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II national championship tournament for the first time since 2006 on Wednesday with a 5-0 win over Drury (Mo.).
The sixth-ranked Wildcats (26-5) wasted little time in putting away the 25th-ranked Panthers (21-5), rolling to three doubles victories before picking up a pair of singles victories from Jaclyn Walker and Natalie Friend to put a quick end to the match.
ACU will take on 48th-ranked Concordia (N.Y.) at noon Thursday in the quarterfinals. Concordia knocked off unranked Nebraska-Kearney, 5-4, in Wednesday's Round of 16. ACU hasn't advanced past the first round of the tournament since 2006, and the Wildcats haven't advanced past the quarterfinals since 1996 when they reached the national championship match.
With a win over Concordia, the Wildcats would face either No. 1 BYU-Hawaii or No. 2 Lynn (Fla.) in Friday's semifinals. BYU-Hawaii and Lynn have dominated the Division II women's tennis landscape over the last 12 years. In that time frame, BYU-Hawaii has won seven national titles with Lynn winning three titles. ACU would have to get one of those powerhouse outfits to reach the national championship match for the first time since it lost to Armstrong Atlantic (Ga.) in the 1996 championship match.
On Wednesday, ACU jumped out to a 3-0 lead with help from the 10th-ranked doubles duo of Irene Squillaci and Walker, which picked up an 8-5 victory over the No. 21 pair of Katia Bon and Chandra Capozzi in the first slot.
In the second position, Dina Pavlin and Sarah Drummond helped the Wildcats to a hard-fought 8-5 win over Alba Passanisi and Khyrstsina Tryboi before third-slated Cassie Carver and Lauren White defeated Drury for another 8-5 decision over Lindsey Castrodale and Anna Lustig.
Singles action saw ACU earn two more victories to pick up the go-ahead for next-round play. In the third slot, Walker earned two quick 6-0, 6-2 decisions over Tryboi, allowing Natalie Friend in the sixth position to earn the fifth win of the evening with a 6-2, 6-1 conclusion over Castrodale.
#6 Abilene Christian University 5, #25 Drury 0
Singles competition
1. #23 Irene Squillaci (ACUW) vs. Katia Bon (DRURY-W) 6-3, 3-2,
unfinished
2. Sarah Drummond (ACUW) vs. #50 Chandra Capozzi (DRURY-W) 6-4, 0-1,
unfinished
3. Jaclyn Walker (ACUW) def. Khrystsina Tryboi (DRURY-W) 6-0, 6-2
4. Cassie Carver (ACUW) vs. Alba Passanisi (DRURY-W) 6-2, 3-2,
unfinished
5. Dina Pavlin (ACUW) vs. Anna Lustig (DRURY-W) 7-5, 1-2, unfinished
6. Natalie Friend (ACUW) def. Lindsey Castrodale (DRURY-W) 6-2, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. #10 Irene Squillaci/Jaclyn Walker (ACUW) def. #21 Katia Bon/Chandra
Capozzi (DRURY-W) 8-5
2. Dina Pavlin/Sarah Drummond (ACUW) def. Alba Passanisi/Khrystsina
Tryboi (DRURY-W) 8-5
3. Cassie Carver/Lauren White (ACUW) def. Lindsey Castrodale/Anna
Lustig (DRURY-W) 8-5
Match Notes:
Drury 21-5; National ranking #25
Abilene Christian University 26-5; National ranking #6
