Match 20
Score: #3 NJIT 4, #6 Kennesaw State 3 | Box Score | Photo Gallery
Records: Kennesaw State (5-15), NJIT (7-12)

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The sixth-seeded Kennesaw State women's tennis team put up a fight against third-seeded NJIT, but the Highlanders pulled out a 4-3 decision in the quarterfinals of the ASUN Championship Friday afternoon in Fort Myers, Fla.
 
With the overall match tied at 3-3, it all came down to KSU's Alexandra Mercado and NJIT's Mayar Eltony at No. 1. Eltony won the first set 6-4, Mercado rallied for a 6-1 second-set win, and the junior from Puerto Rico climbed from 4-0 down in third set to force a tiebreaker.
 
Battling hard with the season on the line, Mercado -- a second-team All-ASUN selection -- led by scores of 3-1, 4-2, and 5-4, before Eltony won the breaker's final three points and clinched her team's victory with a 7-5 score.
 
"As a coach, all you can ask is that your team puts itself in a position to win, and we did that today," said Director of Tennis Eduardo Rincon. "NJIT is a good team, which finished third in our conference, and we came up just short against them. It's a tough way to end the season, but I see nothing but good things in the future for our team."
 
Kennesaw State got things rolling by taking the doubles point with Jada Tijani and Jessica Cantrell clinching the point with their 6-3 win at No. 3. Mercado and Elle Baker won their match at No. 1 doubles, 6-2.
 
The Highlanders won at No. 6 to open singles play, but Kennedy Craig put the Owls back up 2-1 with her straight-set win at No. 3 (7-5, 6-0). It was tied again when NJIT won at No. 5, and the Highlanders claimed their first lead, 3-2, with a three-set win at No. 4.
 
Cristina Perez-Martin put the match back on even terms as she survived a tight one in straight sets. The junior from Spain took the opening set in a tiebreaker and claimed the point at No. 2 with a 7-5 win in the second set.
 
The Owls, who were searching for the program's first postseason win, end their campaign with a 5-15 record. NJIT improved to 7-12 and advances to the ASUN semifinals to battle second-seeded North Florida Saturday.
 
Singles
1. Mayar Eltony (NJIT) def. Alexandra Mercado (KSU) 6-4, 1-6, 7-6
2. Cristina Perez Martin (KSU) def. Rafaella Sampaio (NJIT) 7-6, 7-5
3. Kennedy Craig (KSU) def. Natacha Minc (NJIT) 7-5, 6-0
4. Nathalie Habegger (NJIT) def. Laura Hopton (KSU) 3-6, 7-5, 6-3
5. Alba Rosas Garcia (NJIT) def. Jessica Cantrell (KSU) 6-3, 6-4
6. Amanda Helminsky (NJIT) def. Aspen Jarrett (KSU) 6-3, 6-2
 
Doubles
1. Elle Baker/Alexandra Mercado (KSU) def. Rafaella Sampaio/Mayar Eltony (NJIT) 6-2
2. Nathalie Habegger/Alba Rosas Garcia (NJIT) def. Laura Hopton/Cristina Perez Martin (KSU) 6-3
3. Jessica Cantrell/Jada Tijani (KSU) def. Natacha Minc/Amanda Helminsky (NJIT) 6-3
 
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (6,3,5,4,2,1)

To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State women's tennis news follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUWomensTennis or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook.

-#GoKSUOwls-
 
 

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