OWENSBORO, Ky.– The top two seeds in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Championship bracket will be playing for the title following Friday’s semifinal victories.
 
No. 1 Hillsdale defeated No. 4 Findlay, 4-0, and No. 2 Walsh ousted No. 3 seed Tiffin, 4-1, as both matches were played to the point of decision.
 
That will set the stage for a showdown on Saturday morning with the men’s final scheduled to get underway at the Owensboro Centre Courts with a 1:30 p.m. CT start.
 
The defending conference tournament champion Chargers are two-time regular-season league champs and have their sights set on back-to-back tourney crowns. 
 
HC blanked a Findlay program that featured the newly-selected Great Midwest Player of the Year Samantha Sweet and Great Midwest Freshman of the Year Laiying Alvarado. Both Swete and Alvarado were on notable win streaks coming into the postseason. 
 
Sweet and Alvarado did their best on the verge of winning their doubles match, but the Chargers had clinched as Hannah Cimpeanu/Sarah Hackman and Kamryn Matthews/Madeline Bissett won at No. 2 and No. 3. 
 
The Oilers/Chargers top three singles draws would also go unfinished in the box score. Hillsdale dominated the latter half of the singles competition as straight sets decided the final outcome for a 4-0 shutout. 
 
The Cavaliers recorded their 16th win of the season by eliminating first-year league member Tiffin in the semis. All-conference performers were all over the courts from both programs as doubles launched an exciting start to the final match of the day. 
 
Mercedes Fernandez and Nicole Beidacki defeated Lauren Prince and Juliette Sirgant in the No. 1 matchup. A tiebreaker propelled the Cavaliers to eventually clinch at the No. 2 pairing for the first team point. 
 
Walsh and Tiffin then recorded the top four singles contests as having gone final. Fernandez and Beidacki took care of business at No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, while first teamer Emily Sim gave the Dragons a point with her win at No. 2 singles.