The women's tennis team from Cowley College captured the 2023 Region VI title on Saturday held at Great Bend's Veteran's Memorial Park.
The nationally 2nd ranked Tigers won six of the nine events, taking four of the six singles matches and two on the doubles side in defeating the nationally ranked packed field including two other Top-7 ranked teams.
It took six sets in two matches for the first flight, top seeded Alexandra Melnikova to pull out the title as the nation's second ranked got past Pratt's Dominique Van Vuuren 6-1, 6-7(8), 6-2 on Friday before prevailing 6-0, 3-6, 6-2 over 6th ranked Camille Belberka of Seward County.
Belberka avenged the loss in doubles action, teaming with Carol Mora as the 3rd ranked duo to defeat the 4th ranked Melnikova and Isid Hernandez in an exciting 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (2) Region VI title match.
Ranked as the top player until the most recent polls in dropping to 12th, Mora claimed her first of two championships on Saturday in the earlier No. 2 singles flights. Prevailing over Barton's 11th ranked Luciana Braga 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in the first round, Mora completed her title run on with a straight set 7-5, 6-4 victory over Cowley's 5th ranked Belberka.
In the No. 3 flight, Barton's 25th ranked Tshegofatso Tsiang won the Cougars' lone region title of the weekend, wining in three 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 over Seward County's Ana Isabela Serrano before defeating Cowley's 19th ranked Isid Hernandez 7-5, 6-4.
Cowley swept the final three flights of singles play, 24th ranked Ntokozo Zungu wining 6-4, 6-3 over Barton's Azul Barrios in the 4th flight, 33rd ranked Mariia Koroleva defeating Camila Corrales 7-5, 6-3 in the 5th flight, and 42nd ranked Camila Neyra's 6-1, 6-4 in the 6th flight over Barton's Ana Vasilis.
Dropping the top doubles flight, the Tigers swept the remaining two flights, 11th ranked Babenko and Zungu 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 over Seward County's Serrano and Jaena Morais in the second flight while 19th ranked Koroleva and Neyra won the third flight 6-0, 6-2 over Barton's Carmen Lyons and Ana Vasilis.
Next: May 6-10 at the 2023 NJCAA Division I Championships in Tyler, TX.
Final Team Results
#2 Cowley (15 points)
#7 Seward County (8 points)
#6 Barton (7.5 points)
#25 Pratt (0 points
For complete results, photos, and videos, visit the Region VI Tournament website