GCU back in title game with semifinal win

Friday, April 19

Harlingen, Texas

10 a.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

Abilene Christian

Photo by: WAC

4/19/2024 3:36:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score

Lopes shut out No. 5-seeded Abilene Christian to return to tournament championship match

By: Braden Dohrmann

HARLINGEN, Texas — Grand Canyon has been dominant in WAC play all season, and Friday's WAC semifinal matchup was no different with a 4-0 sweep of Abilene Christian to send the Lopes back to the WAC Tournament championship match.

The Lopes (21-2) have managed to reach the championship match without dropping a point in the first two matches of the WAC Tournament against Utah Tech and Abilene Christian. GCU is 9-0 in matches against WAC teams this year.

"This is just a resilient group, I am so proud of them," head coach Katarina Adamovic said, who has the opportunity to lead the Lopes to their second straight NCAA Tournament, which would make it 2 for 2 for Adamovic in her time at GCU.

The doubles point did not come easy for the Lopes as the two winners on Courts 1 and 2 both won 6-4. Both pairs, graduate Natasha Puehse and senior Santa Strombacha and the freshman pair of Elizaveta Morozova and Iva Sepa, won their seventh straight doubles matches.

In singles, there was a quick shuffle in the lineup after Morozova went down with injury in the doubles match. Freshman Valeriia Krokhotina moved into the No. 4 position where she was in control of the match throughout, and sophomore Dania Deaifi moved from her usual No. 6 spot to No. 5.

One of the brightest points of the match was junior Lailaa Bashir stepping into the singles lineup in the sixth position where she made her fourth start of the season. She was ready for the moment winning 6-0, 6-2.

The Lopes turn their attention to the WAC Tournament Championship where they will take on Tarleton State (17-3), the second-place finisher in the WAC. The two teams met at GCU Tennis Facility less than two weeks ago where the Lopes took the match in a 7-0 sweep to clinch a share of the regular-season crown. Now the Texans are the only thing that lie between the Lopes and the tournament crown, as well as their third NCAA Tournament appearance in the last four years.