VIEW PHOTOS FROM TODAY (Courtesy HCAC)
INDIANAPOLIS,
IND. -- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology battled Franklin
College in a tight Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference women's
tennis title match before falling 5-3 on Sunday.
With the victory, Franklin advances to the NCAA Division III Tournament this spring. Rose-Hulman finished second in both the HCAC regular season and tournament, and completes the fall season with an 11-3 record.
Junior Paige Cook (Terre Haute/North) provided Rose-Hulman with two points to lead the effort.
Cook teamed with sophomore Koharuko Fujita (Ishikawa, Japan) to win 8-3 at the No. 2 doubles position. She also captured a 6-2, 6-4 win at the No. 4 singles spot.
Junior Marie Stettler (Edgerton, Wis./Senior) provided the third point of the day with a 6-1, 6-4 victory at the No. 1 singles spot.
Rose-Hulman returns to action next March with a match against nationally ranked DePauw University.
FRANKLIN 5, ROSE-HULMAN 3
Singles competition
1. Marie Stettler (RHIT) def. Heather Pasek (FC) 6-1, 6-4
2. Melissa Sanders (FC) def. Suzana Mohd (RHIT) 6-1, 5-7, 6-3
3. Bethany Harris (FC) def. Melissa Montgomery (RHIT) 6-4,
6-3
4. Paige Cook (RHIT) def. Adrian Gillaspy (FC) 6-2, 6-4
5. Rain Tuley (FC) def. Lauren Miller (RHIT) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6
(7-3)
6. Chelsea Howell (FC) vs. Kylie McCollum (RHIT) unfinished
Doubles competition
1. Melissa Sanders/Adrian Gillaspy (FC) def. Marie Stettler/Melissa
Montgomery (RHIT) 8-4
2. Koharuko Fujita/Paige Cook (RHIT) def. Heather Pasek/Bethany
Harris (FC) 8-3
3. Rain Tuley/Chelsea Howell (FC) def. Lauren Reberger/Kylie
McCollum (RHIT) 9-8 (7-4)