Luther and Coe to Meet in Women's Tennis AQ Championship, Saturday, April 22

4/21/2023 7:23:02 PM

CEDAR RAPIDS / DECORAH, Iowa – The top two seeds in the 2023 American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Women’s Tennis AQ Tournament, No. 1-seed Luther and No. 2-seed Coe, advanced to the championship match. Tomorrow’s final starts at 1:00 p.m. at Luther College.
 
The Luther Norse took down No. 5-seed Loras College Duhawks, 5-0, on Friday after the match was moved from Thursday due to forecasted weather. 
 
Coe took down No. 6-seed Central College Dutch, 5-2, in the semifinal match on Thursday in Cedar Rapids. 
 
Luther is looking to win their fourth-straight AQ Tournament while Coe is looking to win their first since the 2017-18 season. The Norse are making their 20th appearance in the championship match and the Kohawks are advancing to the championship match for the 15th time. 
 
Luther defeated Coe last year to earn the conference’s automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Championships. The first, second, and third rounds will take place on campus with the final site being at the USTA National Campus (Collegiate Center) in Orlando, Florida May 14-22, 2023. 
 
RESULTS: Luther 5, Loras 0
 
Doubles:
  1. Sofia Sackett / Natalia Smith (LUT) defeated Isabel Schwabe / Lauren Diiulio (LOR) 8-1
  2. Emily Rubbelke / Kylie Dunning (LUT) defeated Sara Backus / Dorothy Deans (LOR) 8-3
  3. Lexi Hastings / Julia Moreno (LUT) defeated Leia Papanicholas / Caroline Hutchinson (LOR) 8-5
 
Singles:
  1. Renata Martinez (LUT) vs. Isabel Schwabe (LOR) unfinished
  2. Sofia Sackett (LUT) defeated Lauren Diiulio (LOR) 6-0, 6-4
  3. Julia Moreno (LUT) vs. Sara Backus (LOR) unfinished
  4. Riley O’Donnell (LUT) defeated Leia Papanicholas (LOR) 6-1, 6-3
  5. Natalia Smith (LUT) vs. Caroline Hutchinson (LOR) DNP
  6. Montse Ramirez Mainou (LUT) vs. Dorothy Deans (LOR) DNP
 
 
RESULTS: Coe 5, Central 2
 
Doubles: 
  1. Claudia Bilkey / Jania Carter-Johnson (COE) defeated Jennifer Larson / Madi Wahlen (CEN) 8-1
  2. Maddie Schultz / Courtney Carstensen (COE) defeated Jenna Mahoney / Becca Vala (CEN) 8-4
  3. Emma Lassen / Jaden Fuqua (COE) defeated Jenna Hernandez / Brianna Lindstrom (CEN) 8-2
 
Singles:
  1. Maddie Schultz (COE) defeated Jennifer Larson (CEN) 6-2, 6-0
  2. Madi Whalen (CEN) defeated Claudia Bilkey (COE) 6-0, 6-4
  3. Jania Carter-Johnson (COE) defeated Jenna Hernandez (CEN) 7-6, 6-4
  4. Jenna Mahoney (CEN) defeated Courtney Carstensen (COE) 6-1, 6-4
  5. Emma Lassen (COE) vs. Alli Kreider (CEN) unfinished
  6. Maria Bellow Escobar (COE) vs. Becca Vala (CEN) unfinished 
 
 
Women’s AQ Tournament Schedule
First Round – Tuesday, April 18
No. 6 Central, 5 @ No. 3 Nebraska Wesleyan, 2
4:00 p.m. | Lincoln, Nebraska
 
No. 5 Loras, 5 @ No. 4 Wartburg, 1
4:00 p.m. | Waverly, Iowa
 
Semifinal – Thursday, April 20
No. 6 Central, 2 @ No. 2 Coe, 5
4:00 p.m. | Cedar Rapids, Iowa
 
Semifinal – Friday, April 21 (Due to forecasted weather, this semifinal has been moved to Friday)
No. 5 Loras, 0  @ No. 1 Luther, 5
4:00 p.m. | Decorah, Iowa
 
Championship – Saturday, April 22
No. 2 Coe @ No. 1 Luther
1:00 p.m. | Decorah, Iowa
 
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