Grand Valley State gets past Panthers in NCAA-II Tournament

 
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Grand Valley State won four singles matches to get past Drury 4-1 in the first round of the NCAA-II Tournament on Friday at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield.
 
The Panthers, seeded third in the Midwest Regional, end their season with a 16-4 record. The Lakers, the number six seed in the regional, advance to the second round with a 15-6 mark.
 
Drury took a 1-0 after winning a pair of doubles matches. Clara Kuehnle and Viktoriya Zheleva won in the number three match 6-3, then Alma Abazi and Nastasia Jedrychowski clinched the point with a 6-4 win in the number two position.
 
Grand Valley State, though, took control with wins in the top three singles match-ups. In the number one singles match, Vera Griva defeated Ewa Samberger 6-1, 6-4, and Marija Leko got a 6-4, 6-0 win over Nastasia Jedrychowski.
 
Drury’s Alma Abazi, in the number three singles match, started with a 6-1 win the first set, but Vasileia Griva rallied, winning the next two sets 6-4 and 6-2.
 
The Lakers took the win in the number five match as Estefania Hernandez outlasted Kseniia Eremina in three sets, 6-2, 0-6, 6-2.
 
Clara Kuehnle won a set and was leading 4-3 in the second, and Maria De La Torres Espejo also had a 7-6, 3-2 lead when the match ended on Grand Valley State’s clinching point.
 
The Lakers will advance to the sub-regional championship match on Saturday and will Southwest Baptist, who got a 4-2 win over Findlay on Friday. 
 
Drury’s appearance in the NCAA-II Tournament was their 23^rd trip to the national tournament and their 19^th bid in the last 20 years. 
 
#32 Grand Valley St. 4, #27 Drury 1
5/6/2022 at Springfield, Mo. (Cooper Tennis Complex)
Singles competition
1. Vera Griva (GVSU-W) def. Ewa Samberger (DRURY-W) 6-1, 6-4
2. Marija Leko (GVSU-W) def. N. Jedrychowski (DRURY-W) 6-4, 6-0
3. Vasileia Griva (GVSU-W) def. Alma Abazi (DRURY-W) 1-6, 6-4, 6-2
4. Clara Kuehnle (DRURY-W) vs. Taylor Barrett (GVSU-W) 7-6, 4-3, unfinished
5. Estefania Hernandez (GVSU-W) def. Kseniia Eremina (DRURY-W) 6-2, 0-6, 6-2
6. Maria Espejo (DRURY-W) vs. Marily Canellopolous (GVSU-W) 7-6, 3-2, unfinished
 
Doubles competition
1. #39 Kseniia Eremina/Ewa Samberger (DRURY-W) vs. Marily Canellopolous/Marija Leko (GVSU-W) 5-6, unfinished
2. Alma Abazi/N. Jedrychowski (DRURY-W) def. Vera Griva/Vasileia Griva (GVSU-W) 6-4
3. Clara Kuehnle/Viktoriya Zheleva (DRURY-W) def. Taylor Barrett/Estefania Hernandez (GVSU-W) 6-3
 
Match Notes
Grand Valley St. 15-6; National ranking #32; Regional ranking #6
Drury 16-4; National ranking #27; Regional ranking #3
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (2,1,3,5)
T-2:13 A-113