It will be an all-Georgia Gwinnett College women's doubles final at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Cup after both of the Grizzlies' seeded teams earned victories Saturday at the Rome Tennis Center in Rome, Georgia.
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The top-seeded team featuring juniors
Iryna Lysykh and
Stephanie Fernandez recorded their third consecutive victory in straight sets with Saturday's 6-4, 6-4 semifinal triumph against an opposing duo from Holy Cross College (Indiana). The Lysykh-Fernandez team previously defeated teams from Union College (Kentucky), by 6-2, 6-2 scores in the Round of 16, and Ave Maria University (Florida), by a 7-5, 7-5 margin in Friday's quarterfinal round.
Meanwhile, the No. 3-seeded team of junior
Liza Velykorodna and sophomore
Cassidy Mataia earned an impressive semifinal victory against the No. 2-seeded team from Keiser University (Florida). The Grizzly tandem won the opening set by a 7-5 score before closing out the match with a 6-4 score in the second set.
The two GGC teams will compete in the ITA Cup doubles final on Sunday, October 16, starting at 10 a.m. Fernandez will be seeking her second straight NAIA individual national championship after teaming with
Maria Genovese for the 2021 doubles title last fall.
In singles, senior
Tereza Koplova, the tournament's No. 3 seed, lost in straight sets to top-seeded Violet Apisah of Keiser by 6-1, 6-4 scores in Saturday morning's semifinal action.
"Having an all-GGC final in doubles is amazing. Cassidy and Liza played some incredible doubles tennis today. They have become more confident with each match in this tournament. That confidence really was present in the semifinal match. At the same time, Stephanie and Iryna played extremely well today, especially when called upon during the big points. I'm looking forward to a great match tomorrow between both of our teams," said Head Coach
Hannah Keeling.
The ITA Cup concludes for the GGC program with the doubles championship match on Sunday, October 16, from the Rome Tennis Center in Rome, Georgia.
