Box Score
INDIANA, Pa. –
Raquel Gonzalez picked up a win at No. 3 singles to clinch victory for the IUP women's tennis team as the Crimson Hawks earned a hard fought 5-2 win over Mercyhurst to advance to the 2016 NCAA Division II Championships in Denver, Colo.
This will be the sixth straight trip to the national championships – the NCAA round of 16 – for second seeded IUP, which improved to 22-4 on the season. The 22 victories tie a program single season record, last set during the 2011-12 season (22-8). It's also the third 20-win season in school history.
The win also extended the Crimson Hawks' regional championship win streak to 12.
Mercyhurst, the third seed in the Atlantic Region, wraps up its season with a 16-6 overall record.
Gonzalez's clincher was a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Carmen Mantecon Duro at three, her second overall victory of the day. Her win was the third in singles play for the Crimson Hawks, following a victory by
Claudia Menes at No. 5 and
Luise von Agris at No. 2. Menes defeated Kayla Frost 6-4, 6-2 while von Agris' win came over Adrianna Jeffress, 6-1, 6-2.
Both wins were record breakers. Menes set the new program record with 28 singles wins in a season while von Agris picked up her 51st combined victory (26 singles, 25 doubles), another new single season mark.
Both von Agris and Menes were also part of doubles victories for IUP, with
Jarka Petercakova teaming with the former for an 8-6 win at No. 1 while Gonzalez paired with the latter for an 8-2 victory at No. 3.
The women's tennis round of 16 will be part of the 2016 NCAA Division II National Championships Festival in Denver, with a combined qualifying 76 teams and 20 individuals represent their institutions by competing for national championships in men's and women's golf, women's lacrosse, softball, and men's and women's tennis. Hosted by Metro State University and the Denver Sports Commission, the Festival will run May 16-21.
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's tennis on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPtennis.
