WILMINGTON, Del. - - For the third year in a row, the Wilmington University women's tennis team will play for a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament Championship after defeating Post, 4-1, in the semifinal round on Friday at the Delcastle Tennis Center.
Also for the third year in a row, the Wildcats will face Jefferson in the Championship match, winning each of the past two CACC Tournament Championships. The Wildcats and Rams will go for the title on Saturday starting at 12:00 p.m. at the Delcastle Tennis Center.
On Friday, the Wildcats quickly gained the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and No. 3. Valentina Ivankovic and Fenna Swaan started the victory with a win at No. 1, 6-0. Larize Nel and Jess Purdy gave the Wildcats the doubles point with a 6-1 win at No. 3. Alva Norberg and Marley Trifunovic were leading at No. 2, 3-2, when the match was stopped.
Post got on the board first in the singles matches, tying the match, 1-1, with a win at No. 1 singles. But then it was all Wilmington, as Valentina Ivankovic started the scoring with a straight set win at No. 4, 6-1 and 6-1.
Alva Norberg made it 3-1 with a 6-3 and 6-2 win at No. 3, and then Jess Purdy put the match away with a 6-1 and 6-2 straight set victory at No. 2 singles.
Both Fenna Swaan and Marley Trifunovic won the first set in their matches as well for the Wildcats.
It came down to the final match in the other semifinal, as the Rams came from a set down at No. 3 singles to overtake the Chestnut Hill Griffins, 4-3, and advance to the Tournament Championship.
The Wildcats and Rams split their regular season series this year, with the Rams winning the first match, 5-2, before the Wildcats won the second matchup, 6-1, last week.
