Harding Women's Tennis Defeats Tech, Reaches GAC Title Match

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Southeastern Oklahoma State and Harding, the top two seeds for the Great American Conference Women's Tennis Championships, got past Henderson State and Arkansas Tech, respectively, on Friday, to move to the title match.

The Lady Bisons (15-6) earned its first trip to the finals of the GAC Championship since winning the title in 2014 by beating the Golden Suns for the second time in five days, 5-3.

Arkansas Tech (16-8) picked up the first point of the match when Annabel Rowlands and Kami Ward defeated Gabriella Alves and Milou Dalmolen, 8-2. Harding, however, rallied to notch the other two doubles points as Piper Huey and Laura Golubic, the region's No. 6 doubles squad, bested Macarena Sedano Acosta and Teresa Sanchez, 8-3, followed by an 8-6 win by Brittany Smyser and Arielle Butler against Haeleigh Long and Vandella Suico.

Butler came back in the singles completion and scored a 7-5, 6-1 win against Long from the No. 5 position to increase the Harding lead to 3-1. Rowlands cut into the deficit as she defeated Smyser, 6-3, 6-3 in the match at No. 4.

Huey pushed the Lady Bisons to the brink of clinching the match as she beat Macarena Sedano Acosta 7-6 (7-2), 6-1 in a matchup of two of the Central Region's top 20 players. Tech remained alive when Ward won a three-set affair with Alves, 6-1, 0-6, 6-4. Harding secured the victory when Laura Golubic rallied after dropping the first set, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0, against Teresa Sanchez.

The Savage Storm and Lady Bisons will meet at 2 p.m. Southeastern Oklahoma State won the regular-season meeting, 6-3 on April 8. The winner will join East Central as the only multiple-time champions of the event.

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Players Mentioned

Gabriella Alves: Junior

Arielle Butler: Senior

Laura Golubic: Junior

Piper Huey: Senior

Brittany Smyser: Junior

Milou Dalmolen: 5' 4"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Gabriella Alves
: Junior

Arielle Butler
: Senior

Laura Golubic
: Junior

Piper Huey
: Senior

Brittany Smyser
: Junior

Milou Dalmolen
: 5' 4"; Freshman