NCAA Bound! Women's Tennis Wins HCAC Tourney to Clinch NCAA Bid

ROSE-HULMAN TEAMS

Tennis - Women's

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. -- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology earned its first trip to the NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Tournament with a 5-2 victory over Transylvania University at the West Indy Racquet Club.

With the victory, the Fightin' Engineers became the second women's sports team in school history to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. The women's soccer team accomplished the feat in 2007.

Rose-Hulman completed its fall season at 11-1 overall and also won its first HCAC regular season title in tennis this year. The Engineers ended the season on a school record nine-match winning streak.

Rose-Hulman opened the match with two doubles victories to take an early 2-1 advantage. Freshman Marie Stettler (Edgerton, Wis.) gave Rose-Hulman a 3-2 lead with her 6-2, 7-5 victory at the No. 3 position.

Sophomore Sage Sackett (Kalamazoo, Mich./Mattawan) (pictured) increased the lead to 4-2 with a come-from-behind victory at No. 2 singles. Sackett trailed early in the first set before rallying to capture a tiebreaker, then completed the victory by a 6-1 margin in the second set.

Senior Klara Schroederus (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) earned the championship clinching victory by completing a 6-4, 6-0 win at the No. 6 singles position. Freshman Colleen Stevenson (Bolton, Mass./Nashoba Regional) led at the No. 5 singles position, and sophomore Melissa Montgomery (Alexandria, Ind./Monroe) was in a tightly contested match at No. 4 singles when the clinching point was earned.

Sackett joined Montgomery for a No. 2 doubles victory, and the No. 3 squad of freshmen Paige Cook (Terre Haute/North) and Lauren Reberger (Brazil/Northview) rounded out the winners by an 8-4 margin.

Earlier in the day, Rose-Hulman topped Manchester College 5-1 to advance to the title match. The No. 2 and No. 3 doubles teams started the match with victories, with Sackett, Stettler and Montgomery providing singles wins.

Rose-Hulman stands 11-1 overall on the season and will return to the courts this spring. The NCAA Division III Tournament will take place May 13-15 at a site to be determined.

HCAC TOURNAMENT FINAL MATCH:

ROSE-HULMAN 5, TRANSYLVANIA 2

SINGLES

1. Kelsey Fulkerson (TU) def. Megan Chann (RHIT) 6-0, 6-0
2. Sage Sackett (RHIT) def. Katie Boone (TU) 7-6, 6-1
3. Marie Stettler (RHIT) def. Sarah Ridley (TU) 6-2, 7-5
4. Melissa Montgomery (RHIT) vs. Stephanie Townsend (TU) Not completed
5. Colleen Stevenson (RHIT) vs. Kaitlyn Hizny (TU) Not completed
6. Klara Schroederus (RHIT) def. Victoria Haugli (TU) 6-4, 6-1

DOUBLES

1. Fulkerson/Ridley (TU) def. Chann/Stettler (RHIT) 8-6
2. Sackett/Montgomery (RHIT) def. Boone/Townsend (TU) 8-6
3. Paige Cook/Lauren Reberger (RHIT) def. Hizny/Abby Newcom (TU) 8-4

HCAC TOURNAMENT SEMIFINAL MATCH:

ROSE-HULMAN 5, MANCHESTER 1

SINGLES

1. Megan Chann (RHIT) vs. April Erxleben (MC) Not completed
2. Sage Sackett (RHIT) def. Kara Gilley (MC) 6-3, 6-1
3. Marie Stettler (RHIT) def. Alli Heeter (MC) 6-2, 6-2
4. Melissa Montgomery (RHIT) def. Alyssa Dibley (MC) 6-3, 6-0
5. Colleen Stevenson (RHIT) vs. Brandy Leeper (MC) Not completed
6. Klara Schroederus (RHIT) vs. Jillian Bower (MC) Not completed

DOUBLES

1. Erxleben/Gilley (MC) def. Chann/Stettler (RHIT) 8-3
2. Sackett/Montgomery (RHIT) def. Heeter/Dibley (MC) 8-5
3. Paige Cook/Lauren Reberger (RHIT) def. Leeper/Emily Vail (MC) 8-4

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