NASHVILLE,
Tenn. – The Bethel Lady Wildcats tennis team wrapped up their
most successful regular season falling to TranSouth Conference Tournament
Champion Cumberland University 5-3. The
Lady Wildcats finish the regular season with a mark of 9-3 and currently ranked
#14 in the nation. But, their season
doesn't end as their second place finish in the Conference Tournament qualifies
them to participate in the upcoming NAIA Regional Tournament.
Prior
to the tournament, All-Conference First and Second Team selections were
announced. Bethel took five of the six First
Team singles positions as Juliana Costa (#1), Karen Martinez (#3), Marcela
Santos (#4), Margot Creaseman (#5) and Dana Ledbetter (#6) all earned the
honor. Santos and Costa also took First
Team#2 doubles. Carolina Bello was named
Second Team #2 singles. Martinez and
Bello were selected as #1 Second Team doubles and Creaseman and Ledbetter were
Second Team #3 doubles.
Bethel blanked
the Martin Methodist Lady RedHawks in the semi-final match-up. After sweeping the doubles and leading 3-0,
the Lady Wildcats breezed through the singles for the 9-0 win. That set up a rematch with Cumberland
University. The previous Saturday,
Cumberland's Lady Bulldogs defeated the Lady Wildcats 5-4 in a closely
contested match at home.
Unfortunately,
the result was the same for the Lady Wildcats.
But, it wasn't without many intense moments. After Cumberland took 2 of the 3 doubles
matches, the Lady Wildcats started to claw their way back into the match. Santos won her match quickly to tie the score
2-2. With her win, Santos improved to
11-1 on the year. Martinez then won her
match to put Bethel up 3-2 for a short time.
Ledbetter fell to knot the score up at 3-3. Costa dropped her match and Cumberland led
4-3. That left two matches
remaining. Costa lost her first set, but
won her second to force the third tie-breaking set. Creaseman was also in the same situation
after having lost a close first set 7-6, she won the second forcing a
tie-break. Unfortunately, Creaseman
could not complete the comeback. Costa's
match went unfinished as it would not factor into the outcome.
The Lady Wildcats will
return to Nashville and Vanderbilt University to play in the NAIA Regional
Tournament on Thursday, April 24, 2008.
They will be in a rematch with Cumberland University in the semi-finals.
