UWF-MC BOX SCORE

PENSACOLA, Fla. – The UWF women's tennis team won two doubles and three singles matches in straight sets to defeat Mississippi College, 5-1, in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Division II Women's Tennis South II Regional at the Ralph "Skeeter" Carson Tennis Complex Saturday.
 
The third-ranked and third-seeded Argonauts improved to 27-3 overall while handing the 25th-ranked Lady Choctaws (20-3) their third loss of the season. UWF also defeated MC in the Gulf South Conference Tournament last Saturday.
 
UWF will meet No. 2 seed and fifth-ranked Lynn (20-4) in the regional final on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Lynn defeated No. 7 seed Benedict 5-0 in the other first round contest.
 
On Saturday, the Argonauts and Lady Choctaws split the first two doubles matches that finished. UWF's Paula Coyos and Diana Vlad jumped ahead of Aneta Golawska and Tori Roberts, 7-2, at the No. 2 position before the MC duo rattled off four-consecutive games to close within 7-6. But that Argos stood strong and came away with the 8-6 win, putting UWF up 2-1 in the team score.
 
In singles action, the Argos went up a set in four of the six matches and were ahead in a tiebreaker in another. Needing three wins to clinch the match, UWF got its third team point at No. 2 singles when No. 68 Ines Nicault defeated Nicole Bueno, 6-1, 6-0. The next point came on court six when Heather Mixon closed out RebeccaGrace Kimball, 6-2, 6-0.
 
Echevarria had a hand in another point as her 6-1, 6-1 triumph at No. 4 over AnneMarie Kimball put the Argos into the regional final.
 
UWF improved to 45-22 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. The Argonauts will face Lynn in the regional final for the third time in the last four years. UWF is looking to advance to the national finals site for the 12th time.

Sunday's winner will join 15 other regional winners from across the country in the NCAA Division II Women's Tennis Championships in Surprise, Ariz., May 9-12.