[Grinnell 5, Carroll 4]

[Lake Forest 5, St. Norbert 4]

[Grinnell 5, Lake Forest 3]

[Championship Page]

ROCKFORD, Ill. – For the third straight season and the 11th time overall the Grinnell Pioneers were named Midwest Conference Women’s Tennis Champions. The Pioneers were down 2-1 after doubles play but stormed back to earn three of the next five singles points to vault them to a championship over Lake Forest.

Lake Forest earned a place in the championship match by defeating St. Norbert 5-2. The Foresters had singles wins by Christi Valicenti (No. 2, 6-4, 6-3), Aimee Fadden (No. 4, 6-4, 6-2) and Gracie Mullins (No. 5, 6-4, 7-6 (7-1)). Lake Forest also won two of the three doubles matches in the No. 1 and 2 flights with victories from Melika Celebic and Valicenti in the No. 1 flight (9-7) and from the team of Dowling and Mullins who won 8-4).

Grinnell was able to squeak by Carroll in the other semifinal match by the narrow score of 5-4. The Black and Red jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead after sweeping doubles play with victories from Clothilde Thirouin and Shirlene Luk  in the No. 1 flight (8-4) and then wins by Constanza Alarcon and Catherine Fitch in the No. 2 flight (9-8 (9-7)) before the team of Hanna Feldman and Julia Rumley won the No. 3 flight 8-2. Carroll was able to bounce back and force the issue in singles play but all it took was wins from Alarcon in the No. 3 flight (1-6, 6-2, 6-3) and Feldman in the No. 4 flight (6-1, 4-6, 6-1) to propel Grinnell to the championship match.

In the championship match Lake Forest jumped out to a 2-1 lead after doubles wins from the teams of Celebic and Valicenti (8-5) and Downling and Mullins (8-5). Feldman and Rumley earned the Pioneers lone doubles win with an 8-1 decision in the No. 3 flight.

In singles action the Foresters were only able to score one win via a Mullins 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Catherine Fitch but Grinnell came away with the victory will wins in the No. 2, 3, 4 and 6 flights. Constanza Alarcon picked up a straight set win (6-2, 6-1) to start things off and was followed by wins from Feldman (6-2, 6-3) and Emily Groth (No. 6, 6-3, 6-3). The match deciding victory came from Thoirouin who bounced back from a first set defeat to win 0-6, 6-3, 6-3.

With the win Grinnell earns the Midwest Conference automatic qualifier to the 2013 NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship which culminates May 20-25, 2013 at Stowe Stadium in Kalamazoo, Mich.

The championship weekend continues on tomorrow when the teams will shift to Nielsen Tennis Center to compete in the doubles championship. The first matches are set for 1:00 p.m.