May 18, 2007

MOBILE, Ala. - No. 1 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) defeated No. 2 Fresno Pacific (Calif.) 5-3 in the 2007 NAIA Women's Tennis National Championship this afternoon at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala. The Senators clinched their fourth consecutive championship title breaking an NAIA record eighth overall title in women's tennis including 1992, 1999, 2000 and 2001. This was AUM's second consecutive win over Fresno Pacific in the title match, as the Senators topped the Sunbirds 5-0 in 2006. 

The Senators took two of the three double matches from the Sunbirds and won the singles events three matches to two on Friday afternoon. Fresno Pacific took one doubles match and two singles matches away from the Senators just falling short in the Sunbirds second national championship appearance. 

Following the matches, AUM Head Coach Scott Kidd was named the NAIA Coach of the Year for the third consecutive year and Czech Republic native Tereza Veverkova, who finished the year with a 26-0 record, was named the Marvin P. Richmond Outstanding Player of the Year. 2007 marks the eighth time in the program's history that an AUM women's coach has been named national coach of the year and the fourth time that a Lady Senator has received the Outstanding Player Award.

With the AUM men taking the Men's National Championship earlier on Friday morning, the Senators have won an unofficial record of 15 combined NAIA National Championships in team tennis.  The Lady Senators have appeared in 15 of the last 17 NAIA Team Tennis Finals compiling an 8-7 record.

For the complete 2007 NAIA women's tennis national championship recap visit www.naia.org.

 

Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) def. Fresno Pacific (Calif.), 5-3

Doubles, Singles results from the NAIA Championship Match

Doubles
#1 - T. Veverkova/H. Kuervers (AUM) def. J. Pandzic/A. Laib (Fresno Pacific), 8-6
#2 - A. Minova/A. Karavayeva (Fresno Pacific) def. K. Dadkhodjaeva/D. Zuzulova (AUM), 8-4
#3 - N. Lysak/Y. Pillay (AUM) def. A. Ferot/M. Hanner (Fresno Pacific), 8-2

Singles
#1 - Jelena Pandzic (Fresno Pacific) def. Kamila Dadkhodjaeva (AUM), 6-2, 6-1
#2 - Tereza Veverkova (AUM) def. Angie Minova (Fresno Pacific), score coming
#3 - Anna Karavayeva (Fresno Pacific) def. Dominika Zuzulova (AUM), 6-0, 6-0
#4 - Hannah Kuervers (AUM) vs. Audrey Laib (Fresno Pacific), DNF
#5 - Yudeshnee Pillay (AUM) def. Amandine Ferot (Fresno Pacific), 6-3, 6-0
#6 - Nadia Lysak (AUM) def. Megan Hanner (Fresno Pacific), 6-0, 6-1

 

NAIA

A leader in the development of student-athletes, the NAIA is committed to changing the culture of sport through Champions of Character. Founded in 1937, the NAIA continues to be a pioneer in implementing exceptional standards for academics, diversity, and character. Today, the NAIA sponsors 23 collegiate championships in 13 sports for its nearly 300 member institutions throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more about the NAIA visit www.naia.org.