October 21, 2006

CEDAR RAPIDS , IOWA . . . Coe College won its first Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) women’s tennis Championship on Saturday, defeating Cornell College, 5-1 in the Championship match at Clark Racquet Center on Coe’s Campus in Cedar Rapids. With the victory, the Kohawks receive the Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA women’s tennis Championship in May.

Coe, who entered the four-team Team Tournament as the #4-seed, becomes just the third school to win an IIAC women’s tennis title in the 25 year history of the Championship. The Kohawks defeated the other two schools with titles en route to theirs. Luther, this year’s top-seed, has won 23 of the previous 24 Championships and was defeated by Coe in the semifinals. Cornell, this year’s third-seed, won the Conference title in 2001.

Coe took two of three doubles points with 8-1 wins at #2 by Molly and Megan Fiala and at #3 by Hillary Allen/Kara Klein. Molly Fiala and Andrea Schupbach won at #1 and #2 singles with matching 6-3, 6-1 scores over Pavla Brachova and Emily Loewen, respectively. Allen closed things out for the Kohawks with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Jessica Horn at #3 singles. Number 4, #5 and #6 singles were unfinished. Cornell’s lone win was at #1 doubles by Brachova and Loewen, 8-4 over Schupbach/Lindsey Driscoll. Complete Championship match results are here.

Cornell’s second-place finish is its fifth since joining the Iowa Conference in 1997. The Rams have finished in the top-four each year since joining the IIAC including three third-place finishes (1997, 2003, 2005) and a fourth-place finish (2000) to go along with its Championship and five runner-up finishes.

In the third-place match, Luther defeated Central 5-2. The Norse posted wins at #2, #3 and #6 singles as well as #1 and #3 doubles. Molly Beyer, Taylor Cochrane and Justine Allen all won three set singles matches. Annalise Conaway/Cochrane and Kelsie Allen/Amy Christenson were winners in doubles. Kristin Kovar was Central’s lone singles victor at #1 and Katie Moklestad/Hillary Baehr won at #2 doubles. Number 4 and #5 singles were left unfinished. Complete third-place match results are here.

The third-place finish is Luther’s lowest in the 25-year history of the Championship as the Norse finished second in its only other non-Championship year. Central has placed in the top-four in 21 of the 25 women’s tennis Championships, this being its seventh fourth-place finish.

In Friday’s semifinals, a pair of 5-4 decisions, the outcomes came down to a pair of third-set super tie-breakers. Coe received a come-from-behind 4-6, 6-3, 13-11 win from Katie Yakes over Luther’s Justine Allen at #6-singles to clinch the Kohawk victory. Cornell received a 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 10-5 win from Jessica Horn over Central’s Katie Moklestad at #3-singles to clinch the Rams’ victory.

With Coe’s victory on Saturday, the Kohawks will represent the Iowa Conference as its automatic qualifier at the NCAA Championship. The expanded field begins play at regional sites on May 4, 2007 with the national finals at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va. on May 15-20. The entire national field is scheduled to be announced on April 30.

Final Iowa Conference women’s tennis standings are below. The top-four are based on the Team Tournament; places five through nine are based on performances at the Individual Tournament held October 13-14.

1st – Coe
2nd – Cornell
3rd – Luther
4th – Central
5th – Loras
6th – Simpson
7th – Wartburg
8th – Buena Vista
9th - Dubuque

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