The No. 2-seeded Georgia Gwinnett College women's tennis team is back in a familiar position of advancing to the NAIA national championship match after sweeping No. 3 seed Lindsey Wilson College (Kentucky) 4-0 during Friday's semifinal match at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Alabama.

The Grizzlies (15-2) started fast, registering a pair of victories over opposing doubles teams that were ranked among the top five units by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Seniors Isid Hernandez and Justine Lespes won six of the seven games against the No. 1-ranked pairing of Anastasiia Vorobiova and Heyka Rodriguez at the top of the lineup.

Junior Alexandra Melnikova and freshman Diana Ilie then secured the doubles point by winning the last four games on the No. 2 court to pick up a 6-3 victory against the No. 4-ranked Anastasiia Ivanchenko-Mayra Gisone team.

The strong play continued for GGC in singles with players winning the first set in five of the six singles matches.

Hernandez, ITA's No. 23-ranked singles player, gave the Grizzlies a 2-0 lead following a 6-2, 6-3 victory on the No. 5 court against Gisone. A few moments later, freshman Elizabet Verizova secured the third point with a 6-2, 6-4 triumph against Rodriguez on the No. 6 singles court.

Lespes, ranked No. 3 nationally, clinched the semifinal match triumph through a straight-set victory at the top of the singles lineup. She won the opening set 6-3 against No. 7-ranked Aina Domingo Bernabeau and then closed out the match with a 6-4 score in the second set. 

The Grizzlies, which have not dropped a point in three matches in this year's NAIA tournament, will now play in their 11th straight national championship match. They will face top seed Keiser University (Florida) on Saturday, May 17, starting at 10 a.m. GGC has won eight consecutive national titles and nine overall.
 
Coach's Corner
"I am so proud of these women and what they did today. It was a complete team effort and high-level performance against a good team. We are peaking at the right time, which is what it's all about at this moment in the season. I am super excited to go into another national championship match with these ladies," said Head Coach Hannah Keeling.
 
Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College, the No. 2 seed, is scheduled to face top-seed Keiser University (Florida) in the NAIA national championship match on Saturday, May 17, in Mobile, Alabama, starting at 10 a.m.