TWU Advances to NAIA Quarterfinals; Union Makes Round of 16

MOBILE, Ala. - The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) sent two teams to the 2024 NAIA Women's Tennis National Championship, and both squads went 1-1.

Union entered as the No. 12 seed, while Tennessee Wesleyan was seeded sixth.

The five-day tournament was held at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala.

Union opened the tournament with a 4-0 win over No. 21 McPherson (Kan.). Laia Garriga Oms was dominant at No. 5 singles for Union as she won 6-1, 6-0. The Bulldogs then faced No. 5 seed Middle Georgia State in the round of 16. Union fought valiantly but fell 4-1. Liliana Drukerova scored Union's lone point with a 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 win at No. 1 singles.

As the No. 6 seed, Tennessee Wesleyan received a first-round bye. Its first match was against No. 11 LSU-Alexandria, which turned into a 4-3 battle. Olivia Alcala secured the winning point with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win at No. 1 singles. In the quarterfinal round, Tennessee Wesleyan took No. 3 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) to the limit but fell 4-3. It all came down to the No. 4 singles match as LWC's Darija Mladenovic edged TWU's Mercedes Chassed 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4).

Union ended the season 17-7 overall, while Tennessee Wesleyan finished 18-4.