KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. – Top seed SCAD Savannah (#3 NAIA) will face no. two seed Keiser (#4 NAIA) in The Sun Conference Championship Finals on Friday after the Bees and the Seahawks won in Thursday's semifinals.
SCAD Savannah defeated Southeastern 5-0 in the first semifinals. The Bees ran out to a 3-0 lead after doubles play led by an 8-2 win by Camille Gbaguidi (Conference Player of the Year, 1st Team All-Conference) and Paige Murdock (1st Team All-Conference) in number one doubles. Johanna Weber (2nd Team All-Conference) and Karina Rovira (1st Team All-Conference) won 8-3 in number two doubles, while Valerie Droop (1st Team All-Conference) and Julia Albuquerque (1st Team All-Conference) did not lose a game in an 8-0 win in number three doubles.
In singles play, the Bees made quick work with wins by Murdock and Rovira that clinched the match. Murdock defeated SEU's Emily Acierno 6-0, 6-2 in number two singles, while Rovira won in straight sets over Sharienne Ricardo 6-1, 6-1 in number three singles.
In the second semifinal, no. 2 seed Keiser swept third seeded St. Thomas 5-0 to advance to the final.
The Seahawks seized a 3-0 lead after doubles play beginning with a win by The Sun Conference Doubles Team of the Year of Meagane Bianco (1st Team All-Conference) and Julianna Heino (1st Team All-Conference) who defeated STU's
Victoria Slavina (2nd Team All-Conference) and
Ksenia Slavina (2nd Team All-Conference) 8-4 in number one doubles. Samantha Guy (2nd Team All-Conference) and Lorene Foerste then combined for a 8-4 win in number two doubles followed by a 8-5 win by the number three doubles team of Juliana Goncalves (2nd Team All-Conference) and Teodora Stanciu.
Bianco then won 6-0, 6-0 in number one singles followed by a match-clinching 6-0, 6-0 win by Stanciu in number six singles.
The Women's Tennis Sun Conference Championship Finals will start at 9:30 a.m. on Friday at the Crandon Park Tennis Center.