Coyos/Lopez Shine to Wrap Seminole Tourney
Seward County sophomores Paula Lopez and Paula Coyos all but wrapped up the #1 seed in #1 doubles for the NJCAA National Tournament next month on Saturday as the nation's 2nd ranked pair going into the weekend, not only defeated a national contender from Seminole State, but also upset the #1 ranked duo from Tyler to improve to 11-0 on the year. Outside of the Argentinians, the Lady Saints struggled though, losing 7-2 to Tyler and 6-3 to Seminole to fall to 4-7 as a team on the season.
Continuing a busy weekend against top notched competition, the Lady Saints took on #2 Tyler to open up their play at the Seminole State Classic Saturday morning in Oklahoma City. The Lady Apaches quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Seward, picking up matching 8-1 wins at #2 and #3 doubles, but the match that everyone had their eyes on was at #1 where the #1 and #2 ranked duos in the country went head to head. Seward's #2 ranked pair of Paula Lopez and Paula Coyos took on Tyler's top ranked duo of Joanna Savva and Paige Murdock in a rematch of the 2014 ITA National Championship match. After seeing Tyler jump out to an early lead, the Lady Saints stormed back to win the match 8-6 to all but guarantee themselves the top seed for May's National Tournament. As they did in the lower spots in doubles, Tyler dominated the 3-6 spots in singles action as well, as Seward managed just two total games in the four matches as the Apaches clinched the match and went up 6-1. Lopez and Coyos both had marquee matchups in singles as well as 3rd ranked Lopez took on #1 ranked Saava at #1 singles and 10th ranked Coyos battled 5th ranked Elizabeth Bagerbaesh at #2. Coyos was sharp, handling Bagerbaesh in a 6-1, 6-4 win to finish her finest day of her Seward County career while Lopez battled hard before falling to Saava 6-3, 7-6 (3) in a possible National Championship preview. In the end, it was Tyler coming out with a 7-2 win to drop the Lady Saints to 4-6 on the year.
#14 SEWARD COUNTY/#2 TYLER MATCH RESULTS
In their second match of the day, the Lady Saints took on the host team, the Seminole State Lady Trojans. Once again Seward struggled in #2 and #3 doubles, dropping both to fall behind 2-0, but Lopez and Coyos earned the Lady Saints a point with a 8-6 win over Miranda Rodriguez and Jaycie Talbot at #1 to make it 2-1 Seminole into singles play. Lopez and Coyos both cruised to victories at the top of the Lady Saints ladder, Lopez knocking off 9th ranked Rodriguez 6-1, 6-3 and Coyos continuing her unparalleled success with a 6-0, 6-0 blanking of 27th ranked Ana Ojeda to put Seward ahead 3-2 for the moment. The Lady Saints battled at their other singles spots as well as Kellyn Peters dropped a 6-4, 6-3 decision at #3, Naomie Bukassa fell 6-3, 6-1 and Xochitl Gonzalez and Grace Golden lost 6-2, 6-2 at #5 and #6 as Seminole came from behind to win the match 6-3.
#14 SEWARD COUNTY/#5 SEMINOLE STATE MATCH RESULTS
The Lady Saints fall to 4-7 after the weekends action. Lopez and Coyos improve to 11-0 in #1 doubles play together while Lopez is now 10-1 in #1 singles and Coyos 11-0 in #2 singles.
Seward will play their final home match of the season on Thursday when they host Region VI foe Hesston for a 3:00 match on campus and at Blue Bonnet Park in Liberal.