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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

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Isabella Dunlap
3
Northwest Missouri State NWMSU (17-5)
4
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO (16-4)
Northwest Missouri State NWMSU
(17-5)
3
Final
4
Central Oklahoma UCO
(16-4)
Winner

Match Recap: Women's Tennis | | Chris Brannick

UCO Headed To MIAA Championship

OKLAHOMA CITY - The University of Central Oklahoma tennis team punched its ticket to the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Championship match for the second straight year Saturday with a 4-3 win over Northwest Missouri.

The Bronchos will look to win its first league title Sunday at 10 a.m. at the Oklahoma City Tennis Center against Southwest Baptist. UCO is the No. 2 seed in the tourney while the Bearcats of Bolivar, Mo. are the No. 4 seed. 

"I'm really proud of the team for fighting today," UCO head tennis coach Jaron Maestas said. "We found ourselves in trouble early, but the team responded with a win. We want to win the championship, that's our goal, and tomorrow we'll have a chance to do that."

UCO was down 1-0 after dropping the doubles point for just the fourth time all season. Adel-Byanu Abidullina and Nikki Boyar picked up a win at No. 2 doubles, 6-4, but Northwest earned a 6-1 win at No. 1 and a 6-3 win at No. 3 to take the early lead.

Boyar was quick to even the match. The freshman from San Antonio, Texas won 6-2, 6-2 at No. 5 singles to make it 1-1. 

Then Northwest won a pair of matches at No. 3 and No. 4 singles to come within a point of clinching its ticket to the championship. UCO had other plans.

Sarah Van Eeckhoudt won 6-3, 6-4 at No. 6 to make it 3-2. Then Abidullina won 6-0, 2-6, 7-5 at No. 1 singles to tie the match, 3-3.

Isabella Dunlap, a freshman ranked No. 6 in the country, dropped the first set of her match at No. 2 singles, 4-6. But she battled back to take a 7-5 win in the second set and then won a wild third set 6-4 to clinch the match and send UCO to championship Sunday.

Central Oklahoma was the No. 2 seed in the 2018 MIAA Tournament and made the championship match before coming up short there. The Bronchos earned the No. 2 again this season and will again play for the championship. UCO beat SBU 5-2 back on March 15 in Edmond.
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