EDMOND, Oklahoma – 15th-ranked Northwest Missouri State University held off 20th-ranked Ouachita Baptist University's late singles rally to beat the Tigers 4-2 on Thursday in the semifinals of the 2023 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association/Great American Conference tournament.
The Bearcats (14-5) took the early lead with doubles wins in the No. 2 and No. 3 lines with the No. 1 line at a deadlocked 4-4 battle at the time the point was won.
In singles, the Tigers (12-10) fought back to make the match at 3-2 in favor of the Bearcats thanks to wins at the No. 2 spot from fourth-ranked
Phil Exner and at the No. 6 line from
Aaron Osmond. 14th-ranked
Alex Blanchar and
Fernando Docters each took their opponents to a third set. Blanchar was in a tight battle at No. 1 when Docters fell in the third set after winning the second set on a 7-0 tiebreaker.
The Tigers are hopeful to earn a berth into the NCAA Tournament, which would be the 20th appearance in program history. The NCAA selection show will be held on Monday, April 24 online at
www.NCAA.com starting at 7 p.m. central time.
NO. 15 NORTHWEST MISSOURI 4, NO. 20 OUACHITA 2
DOUBLES
- No. 5 Phil Exner / Alex Blanchar (OUA) vs. No. 19 Andrea Zamurri / Fillippo Piranomonte (NW) 4-4 did not finish
- No. 36 Fabien Calloud / Jan Skerbatis (NW) def. Aaron Osmond / Matias Parzajuk (OUA) 6-2
- Michael Delebois / Mason Meier (NW) def. Ramon Strassmann / Fernando Docters (OUA) 6-3
SINGLES
- No. 14 Alex Blanchar (OUA) vs. No. 12 Andrea Zamurri (NW) 2-6, 6-2, 4-5 did not finish
- No. 4 Phil Exner (OUA) def. No. 45 Michael Delebois (NW) 6-2, 6-4
- No. 65 Fabien Calloud (NW) def. Fernando Docters (OUA) 6-2, 6-7 (0-7), 6-0
- Jan Skerbatis (NW) def. Matias Parzajuk (OUA) 7-5, 6-2
- Mason Meier (NW) def. Ramon Strassmann (OUA) 6-3, 6-2
- Aaron Osmond (OUA) def. Simon Birgeson (NW) 6-2, 6-3
Doubles order of finish: 2, 3 / Singles order of finish: 2, 4, 6, 5, 3
