RICHARDSON, Texas – The Millsaps women's tennis team's run came to an end in the Second Round of the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament at the University of Texas at Dallas Tennis Complex on Friday. Millsaps (11-4) fell to Southwestern University (16-4) by a score of 5-0.
Despite the defeat, the Majors accomplished many program firsts and garnered numerous conference awards. Senior
Grace Gaskins will now set her sights on competing in the Singles Round of 32 at the NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championships in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Friday, May 28.
The Majors claimed their first Southern Athletic Association (SAA) regular season and tournament titles and secured the program's first NCAA Tournament win in the team's first national appearance, with a 5-0 victory over Northwestern-St. Paul on Thursday.
Gaskins was named SAA Player of the Year and was ranked as high as No. 4 in the Atlantic South Regional Rankings. Teammate
Camille Fremaux was recognized as SAA Newcomer of the Year, while head coach
Davis Elkins earned SAA Coach of the Year plaudits.
Millsaps also featured several members on the All-SAA First and Second Teams, the All-SAA Tournament Team, the Tournament MVP in
Maggie Dabadie and several singles and doubles Player of the Week accomplishments.
On Friday, the Majors streak of 27 consecutive wins at doubles in SAA or postseason play was halted by Southwestern. The Pirates, who are ranked No. 1 in the West Region, claimed 8-2 and 8-1 wins on Courts 2 and 3, respectively to take an early 2-0 edge.
Gaskins and Fremaux held their own on Court 1 as the teams were tied and traded leads several times before the duo ultimately fell 8-7 with a 7-5 tiebreak.
Fremaux claimed the first set on Court 3 for singles, 6-4, but her match went unfinished when the match was clinched. Southwestern tallied the final decisive points on Courts 4 and 5.
Gaskins fell behind with a 6-1 defeat in the first set, but her match went unfinished as well. She was facing Nina Mitrofanova who is ranked No. 2 in the West Region rankings. Gaskins' impressive steak of winning 22 consecutive sets in singles came to an end.
Up Next: Gaskins will look restart her streak in the Singles Round of 32 at the NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championships on May 28.
Women's Doubles Results
Bowers/Despriet (SU) def. Gaskins/Fremaux, 8-7 (5)
Mitrofanova/Quetzeri (SU) def. Dabadie/Clayton, 8-2
Ziehm/Kesterson (SU) def. Brown/Shields, 8-1
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1
Women's Singles Results
Grace Gaskins vs.Nina Mitrofanova (SU), 1-6, 2-4, unfinished
Maggie Dabadie vs. Esther Bowers (SU), 2-6, 2-3, unfinished
Camille Fremaux vs. Emma Kesterson (SU), 6-4, 2-3. unfinished
Sydney Wahi (SU) def.
Ella Shields, 6-0, 6-0
Nina Elez (SU) def.
Marissa Brown, 6-1, 6-1
Isabella Hutchins vs. Alli Zehm (SU)
, 0-6, 2-5, unfinished
Order of Finish: 5, 4
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