WEXFORD, Pa. – The second-seeded and 43rd-ranked IUP women's tennis program clinched a spot in the NCAA Division II round of 16 following a 4-1 win against conference foe Slippery Rock on Tuesday at the Atlantic Region Two Championship match.
The victory pushes IUP to its 11th NCAA DII Championships appearance over the last 13 years, which begins Thursday, May 11 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando.
IUP has won five regional titles since 2017, entering the NCAA Tournament as the number two seed. The win marked the seventh consecutive victory for IUP, which advances to 14-9 on the campaign.
Tuesday's win was the third for the Crimson Hawks against Slippery Rock this season, previously knocking off the divisional opponent on March 25 in Wexford and then again on April 23 to claim the program's third consecutive Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship.
Slippery Rock, which won the doubles point in today's match, ends the season at 16-9 overall. IUP has won nine straight matchups against SRU, including wins in 20 of the last 21 meetings.
Trailing 1-0 entering singles play, IUP had some work to do.
Natalie Kmoskova got IUP on the board with her 6-0, 6-1 victory at No. 2 singles against Gabriela del Val del Toro.
Lydia Vlachou handed the Crimson Hawks a 2-1 lead with a 6-4, 6-2 victory at the No. 5 flight of singles.
Laura Dunarova continued the singles momentum for IUP, holding on in the second set for a 6-0, 7-6 win at the No. 6 flight against Georgie Lancaster.
Joanna Stralka closed out the match for IUP with a three-set win at the No. 3 flight.
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