Related Links:
Box Score
NCAA Whitewater Regional Web Page
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's tennis team capped its 13th straight appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship Saturday with a 5-0 loss against St. Thomas (Minn.) in the second round of the national tournament at Lake Geneva Tennis in Lake Geneva, Wis.
The Warhawks (13-6 overall), who entered Saturday on a 12-match winning streak, were competitive at all three doubles spots.
Paige Nierman (Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Stevenson) and
Olivia Kraft (Bloomington, Ill./Normal Community) suffered an 8-4 setback at No. 2, and
Molly Rueth (Wheaton, Ill./Glenbard West) and
Courtney Day (Oshkosh, Wis./North) were edged 8-6 at No. 3.
Sabrina Palavra (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) and
Kasey Schlicht (Pewaukee, Wis./Pewaukee) fought to a 7-7 tie at the No. 1 position, but were edged 10-8 in the tiebreaker as the Tommies (14-3) took a 3-0 advantage into singles play.
St. Thomas took the first two points in singles to conclude the match. Schlicht took the first set in a tiebreaker at the first position, and Kraft was tied at 6-6 in her match at the third position when play ended.
UW-Whitewater earned the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by claiming its 14th consecutive conference title and 21st overall. UW-W has won 110 straight dual matches against league opponents.
Palavra and fellow senior
Paige Nierman (Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Stevenson) graduate after helping the Warhawks earn four WIAC championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances from 2017-21.
