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NCAA Tennis: No. 5 Flagler College women in first Final Four, holds off No. 24 Washburn

from staff reports
·4 min read

The Saints made history again at the Division II national championships.

The No. 5 Flagler College women's tennis team (22-4) advanced to its first Final Four after surviving a scare against No. 24 Washburn (18-7) late Saturday.

The Saints will take on top-ranked and top-seeded Barry University at 4 p.m. Monday, May 15 in the Division II semifinals at the USTA National Tennis Center in Orlando.

Flagler redshirt freshman No. 67 Dana Heimen defeated Washburn's Casie Curry to win her fifth straight match. No. 5 Flagler topped No. 24 Washburn to advance to its first Division II Final Four.
Flagler redshirt freshman No. 67 Dana Heimen defeated Washburn's Casie Curry to win her fifth straight match. No. 5 Flagler topped No. 24 Washburn to advance to its first Division II Final Four.

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Live stats: Flagler vs. Barry

Barry, winners of five straight national titles and seven overall, cruised past No. 11 Cameron 4-0 on Saturday.

Barry, which leads the all-time series 17-0, defeated Flagler 4-1 on April 7 in St. Augustine. The Bucs also topped Flagler 4-0 in the 2022 NCAA Division II quarterfinals in Orlando.

Flagler has won nine straight matches since the April loss to Barry and tied the program record with 22 wins this season. The Saints finished with 22 wins during the 2001 season at the NAIA level.

No. 1 Barry, No. 2 Nova Southeastern, No. 5 Flagler College and No. 17 Hawaii Pacific advance to the Division II Final Four in Orlando.
No. 1 Barry, No. 2 Nova Southeastern, No. 5 Flagler College and No. 17 Hawaii Pacific advance to the Division II Final Four in Orlando.

The rematch with Washburn from March 19, which Flagler won 4-3, was just as challenging. Flagler and Washburn each won a doubles match, with the point hanging on the No. 1 doubles. Flagler's No. 18-ranked duo of Luisa Hrda and Dana Heimen held of No. 8 Sonja Smagina and Maja Jung 7-6 (2).

No. 4 Hrda and No. 67 Heimen also picked up crucial victories in singles play.

Hrda, the Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year along with being named to All-Peach Belt Conference first team for singles and doubles, won the clinching match against No. 2 Sonja Smagina 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3. Hrda revenged a loss to Smagina in the March 19 match, 6-1, 6-4.

Heimen, the Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Year, won her fifth straight match, and Charlotta Buss won her eighth straight.

No. 9 Nadja Meier fell to No. 27 Maja Jung to snap her 28-match winning streak.

The other semifinal pits No. 2 Nova Southeastern and No. 17 Hawaii Pacific at 4 p.m. Monday as well. Nova Southeastern blanked Peach Belt Conference runners-up Columbus State 4-0 and Hawaii Pacific blanked Wayne State 4-0.

The national championship is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 16.

WOMEN'S TENNIS: Semifinals

What: NCAA Division II national championship Final Four

Who: Flagler College vs. Barry

When: 4 p.m. Monday, May 15

Where: Courts 1 through 6 at USTA National Campus, 10000 USTA Blvd., Orlando

Admission: Free. Tickets not required for Division II matches.

Live stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnE3MJwxmhY

Full schedule and tournament information: https://www.ustanationalcampus.com/en/home/collegiate/ncaa-championships.html

Projected lineups

No. 5 Flagler (22-4)

Singles

No. 1: Luisa Hrda, senior, 30-7 record, ITA rank: 4

No. 2: Nadja Meier, junior, 36-3, ITA rank: 9

No. 3: Dana Heimen, redshirt freshman, 27-4, ITA rank: 67

No. 4: Eryka Kruk, freshman, 19-13

No. 5: Laura Jipescu, sophomore, 16-7

No. 6: Charlotta Buss, freshman, 26-7

Doubles

No. 1: Luisa Hrda/Dana Heimen, 19-4 record, ITA rank: 18

No. 2: Laura Jipescu/Addison Skye Breunich, 3-6

No. 3: Florencia Massardo Brain/Nadja Meier, 10-4

Coaches: Rodrigo Puebla, head coach (2017-present); Aline Berkenbrock, volunteer assistant.

No. 1 Barry (26-0)

Singles

No. 1: Deniz Khazan, senior, 13-3 record, ITA rank: 1

No. 2: Dinara Alloiarova, sophomore, 14-4, ITA rank: 19

No. 3: Daniela Farfan, senior, 17-0, ITA rank: 16

No. 4: Xiyao Wang, senior, 14-2, ITA rank: 39

No. 5: Selina Pichler, sophomore, 16-2

No. 6: Clara Versier, junior, 16-1, ITA rank: 63

Doubles

No. 1: Dinara Alloiarova/Angela Leweurs, 0-1

No. 2: Deniz Khazan/Nathalia Gasparin, 4-0

No. 3: Daniela Farfan/Xiyao Wang, 4-0

Coaches: Avi Kigel (2009-present); Nanda Alves, associate; Yeffrens Lopez, volunteer assistant; Priscilla Jensen, volunteer assistant

Who made the Final Four

No. 1 Barry, No. 2 Nova Southeastern, No. 5 Flagler College, No. 17 Hawaii Pacific

No. 5 Flagler 4, No. 24 Washburn 2

May 13 in Orlando (USTA National Campus)

Singles

  1. No. 4 Luisa Hrda (FLG) def. No. 2 Sonia Smagina (WU-W) 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-3

  2. No. 27 Maja Jung (WU-W) def. No. 9 Nadja Meier (FLG) 5-7, 6-2, 6-4

  3. No. 67 Dana Heimen (FLG) def. Casie Curry (WU-W) 6-3, 6-3

  4. Marta Torres (WU-W) def. Eryka Kruk (FLG) 6-4, 6-2

  5. Laura Jipescu (FLG) vs. Isabella Martensson (WU-W) 6-7 (1-7), 6-2, 5-4, unfinished

  6. Charlotta Buss (FLG) def. Issabella Pensavalle (WU-W) 6-2, 6-0

Doubles

  1. No. 18 Luisa Hrda/Dana Heimen (FLG) def. No. 8 Sonia Smagina/Maja Jung (WU-W) 7-6 (7-2)

  2. Laura Jipescu/Addison S. Breunich (FLG) def. Isabella Martensson/Issabella Pensavalle (WU-W) 6-4

  3. Marta Torres/Casie Curry (WU-W) def. Flo. Massardo Brain/Nadja Meier (FLG) 6-4

This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: NCAA Tennis: No. 5 Flagler College women facing Barry in Final Four