Lady Saints Top Pair Steals the Show Again at ITA Regionals
It is hard to say if Seward County's tennis duo of Paula Lopez and Paula Coyos can get much hotter right now on the hard court. After all, the pair is a combined 25-2 on the year (with one of those losses coming head to head) while capturing tournament titles at all three of the Lady Saints competitions to start the year. This weekend was no different as the pair cruised to the ITA Regional Championship in doubles, losing just three total games in three matches, to qualify for the ITA National Tournament in Sumter, South Carolina in two weeks, while Lopez didn't drop a set in her run to the singles title, getting her toughest competition in the semifinals against her teammate Coyos.
Unfortunately for the Lady Saints, the draw of the singles bracket had the makings of a Seward vs. Seward matchup just two rounds in. Top seeded Paula Lopez took care of business in her first match of the tournament against Shali Schoepflin of Cowley by a score of 6-0, 6-1 while fourth seeded Paula Coyos barely broke a sweat in a 6-0, 6-0 mauling of Seminole State's Hannah Grace. In the quarterfinals it was more domination by the Lady Saints Argentinians. Lopez put another 6-0, 6-1 whooping on Kailey Hamilton of Seminole while Coyos played another nearly flawless match against Eva Forneiron of Cowley to setup the dreaded Lopez vs. Coyos semifinal match. It was Lopez who came out on top of her partner and best friend in a 6-2, 6-3 decision to reach the finals, and the finals was another breeze for the reigning ITA Rookie of the Year as Lopez hammered third seeded Anna Buiukian of Cowley 6-1, 6-3 in the championship match to bring home the ITA Regional Championship and qualify for the ITA National Tournament for the first time.
In doubles action the duo of Lopez and Coyos got to stand on the same side of the court together instead of facing off against one another. In their opening match they obliterated Grace/Wadkins of Seminole State 6-0, 6-0 and didn't have much more trouble than that against Schoepflin/Sullins of Cowley in the semifinals as they coasted to a 6-0, 6-1 victory to reach the finals. In the finals it was another Seward County blowout as Lopez/Coyos blanked Buiukian/Fornieron 6-0 in the first set before capturing the second 6-2 to win the tournament and be crowned the ITA Regional Champions in doubles and represent the Central Region in the ITA National Tournament in South Carolina.
Lopez and Coyos led the Seward charge at the tournament, going a combined 9-1, with their only loss coming in their head to head matchup. Naomie Bukassa and Jackie Arnold also competed at the tournament for the Lady Saints but went winless to give Seward a 9-4 record in the tournament.
Lopez and Coyos will now don the green and white for the Lady Saints at the ITA National Championships in Sumter, South Carolina on October 9th through the 12th. Lopez will compete in both the singles and doubles brackets while Coyos will team up with her in their quest for a doubles title.