Denver Women's Tennis Wins Summit League Championship

DENVER –- The No. 1 seed University of Denver women's tennis team made it a dual championship season as the Pioneers handed No. No. 3 seed and defending conference champion Fort Wayne a 4-0 setback in the 2014 Summit League Tournament Final on Sunday at Colorado Athletic Club Monaco.

The Pioneers, who also claimed the Summit League regular-season title by virtue of their perfect 6-0 conference mark, receive an automatic berth to the 2014 NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Championship with the victory.

The 2014 NCAA Women’s Tennis Selection Show will air live on NCAA.com on Tuesday, April 29 at 3:30 p.m., MT.

Denver advanced to the conference championship game for the second straight season and the fourth time since 2008.  The Pioneers victory marked their first league tournament crown since 2008, when it captured the Sun Belt Tournament Championship. 

Denver last made the NCAA Tournament in 2009, when it received an at-large bid.

Overall as an athletic department, Denver has won a total of eight postseason league championships in 2013-14 over a group of four different conferences (Summit, NCHC, MPSF, BIG EAST) including women’s soccer, men’s soccer, hockey, men’s swimming, women’s swimming, men’s golf, women’s golf and women’s tennis. In addition, the men’s lacrosse (BIG EAST) and women’s lacrosse (MPSF) each captured its conference’s regular season title and will enter their respective league tournament as the No. 1 overall seed.  Women’s gymnastics also earned an NCAA Tournament berth and skiing claimed the NCAA National Championship.

Denver claimed early momentum in the match as it claimed two of three doubles matches to claim the doubles point.  The No. 2 doubles tandem of Maureen Slattery (Newport News, Va.) and Caroline Schnell (Greenwood Village, Colo.) handed Fort Wayne’s Miloslava Shustova and Emily Richardson an 8-1 loss before Natalie Dunn (Fort Collins, Colo.) and Evy Van Genechten (Antwerp, Belgium) sealed the point with an 8-3 win over IPFW’s Carlota Trevino and Ella Norgren at No. 3.

Denver’s continued to carry the play in the singles action as it posted three straight wins to end the match early.  Kathryn Hughes (Wrexham, Wales) got things started for the Pioneers with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Sofia Sorokina at No. 4 and at No. 3 Sonja Radosevic (Miami, Fla.) posted a convincing 6-1, 6-1 triumph over Ella Norgren.

Schnell clinched the title for the Pioneers in the No. 2 flight with a 6-3, 6-3 result over Fort Wayne’s Miloslava Shustova.

SUMMIT LEAGUE WOMEN’S FINAL RESULTS (SUNDAY)

Denver 4, Fort Wayne 0

Colorado Athletic Club Monaco, Denver, Colo.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Singles

1. Maureen Slattery (DU) vs. Mayu Sato (IPFW) 4-6, 4-1, unfinished

2. Caroline Schnell (DU) def. Miloslava Shustova (IPFW) 6-3, 6-3

3. Sonja Radosevic (DU) def. Ella Norgren (IPFW) 6-1, 6-1

4. Kathryn Hughes (DU) def. Sofia Sorokina (IPFW) 6-0, 6-1

5. Evy Van Genechten (DU) vs. Marcy Huck (IPFW) 1-0, unfinished

6. Charlotte Derbyshire (DU) vs. Carlota Trevino (IPFW) unfinished

Order of finish: 4,3,2

Doubles

1. Kathryn Hughes/Sonja Radosevic (DU) vs. Marcy Huck/Mayu Sato (IPFW) 6-7, unfinished

2. Maureen Slattery/Caroline Schnell (DU) def. Miloslava Shustova/Emily Richardson (IPFW) 8-1

3. Natalie Dunn/Evy Van Genechten (DU) def. Carlota Trevino/Ella Norgren (IPFW) 8-3

Order of finish: 2,3

-EXPERIENCE DENVER ATHLETICS-

 

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