Box score
KOHLER, Wis. - T
he Wisconsin Lutheran College women's tennis team rallied for
four straight singles victories after trailing 3-1 to defeat
Edgewood 5-3 on Friday night in the 2012 Northern Athletics
Conference Team Tournament Championship at the Sports Core. With
the win, the Warriors clinched the league's automatic bid to the
NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championship Tournament, their
first in school history.
Alyssa Strangstalien (Cottage Grove, Wis./Monona Grove) won the
clinching match for Wisconsin Lutheran as she needed three sets to
defeat Edgewood's Kristen Boone, 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 at #4 singles.
All in all, WLC won four of five singles matches as #5 singles was
still in progress when the Warriors won their fifth and final
match. WLC took a 4-3 lead when Stephanie Kudek (Green Bay,
Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran) won easily at #6 singles, 6-1, 6-0.
Also providing wins in singles action for Wisconsin Lutheran were
Kaitlyn Strehlow (Hales Corners, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) and Emily
Pearson (Prairie du Sac, Wis./Luther Preparatory), who won their
matches at #1 and #3 singles, respectively. Pearson netted her win
in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, while Strehlow rallied for a three-set
4-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory. Edgewood picked up its lone singles victory
at #2 with a win from Laura Olsen.
The Warriors started out the finals match trailing 2-1 after
doubles play as Edgewood (15-16, 10-1 NAC) took both #1 and #2
doubles matches. Wisconsin Lutheran's lone double win came at #3 as
the duo of Stephanie Gengler (Slinger, Wis./Slinger) and Lindsay
Gauger (Rockford, Mich./Rockford) cruised to an 8-1 victory.
The Warriors also won a share of the regular season championship
after being predicted to finish eighth in the preseason poll
released in the fall. The win over EC also avenged the Warriors'
only conference loss of the season as they fell to the Eagles on
September 17, 6-3.
Wisconsin Lutheran (17-10, 10-1 NAC) will have to wait until Monday
night to find out its NCAA Tournament opponent when the field of 48
teams is released during the selection show on NCAA.com.
