Belton, Texas - The University of Texas at Dallas women's tennis team put the finishing touch on a historic season as the Comets wrapped up their first American Southwest Conference title with a 5-2 win over U.T.-Tyler in the ASC Championship Match Sunday in Belton. U.T.-Dallas also clinches its first NCAA Division III National Championships berth with the win.
Emily Evans and Nicole Musngi gave U.T.-Tyler an early lead with an 8-6 victory at #3 doubles. But U.T.-Dallas used an 8-4 win from Megan Tan and Auvi Tran at #2 doubles to even the match. Rachel Houston and Casey Johnson won a 7-5 tiebreaker for a 9-8 win at #1 doubles to give the Comets a 2-1 lead going into singles.
Johnson blew through #1 singles for a 6-1, 6-1 victory to give U.T.-Dallas a 3-1 lead. Haley Albro's 6-0, 6-2 win at #6 singles pulled U.T.-Tyler to within 3-2. Jean-Jean Gwo claimed #5 singles for the Comets with a 6-1, 6-4 win and Tran closed it out with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 win at #2 singles to set off a U.T.-Dallas celebration. The Comets were up a set at #3 singles and the two teams split sets at #4 singles.
U.T.-Dallas improves to 15-3 with the victory and claims the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Championships. U.T.-Tyler drops to 15-10 with the loss and had its streak of consecutive ASC Championships snapped at five.
Johnson was named Most Outstanding Player in the Tournament. She was joined on the All-Tournament Team by teammates Jean-Jean Gwo, Rachel Houston and Auvi Tran. Haley Albro and Nicole Musngi represented U.T.-Tyler on the All-Tournament Team and Mississippi College's Shelby Wagner and UMHB's
Brittni Fausett were also selected.
