The Tyler Junior College Apache Ladies tennis team captured the NJCAA Division I Women's National Tennis Tournament Championship on Thursday in Tucson, Arizona. TJC coach Dash Connell holds the championship trophy as the team looks on. (Courtesy NJCAA)

The TJC Apache Ladies are back on top of the tennis world.

Tyler Junior College, paced by three singles championship and a doubles crown, captured the NJCAA Division I Women’s National Tennis Tournament on Thursday in Tucson, Arizona.

TJC completed the season unbeaten at 22-0 won its first national title since winning four straight from 2010 to 2013.

Along with winning their 18th team title, it was also the 55th national sports championship in school history.

“I’m just so proud of this group of ladies,” TJC coach Dash Connell said. “They have gone undefeated all season and have had a target on their back all year. Still, they have been a tough, gritty group of girls. This week was really hard and we had some slips, but we fought when our back was against the wall. We will remember this week for a long time.”

The Apache Ladies compiled 46 points in the five-day event held at Reffkin Tennis Center. Defending champion ASA Miami was second with 44 points. Rounding out the top five were: 3, St. Petersburg (Florida), 33; 4, Broward (Florida), 31; and 5, Seward County (Kansas), 30.

After freshman Jasmine Asghar, Kalani Soli and Yuna Ito won singles championships earlier in the day, TJC needed either a win by its doubles team of Soli and Montana Moore or a loss from one of the two ASA Miami teams to ensure the title.

Soli and Montana came through at No. 2 doubles to clinch the title.

Asghar, the No. 1 seed from London, won the Flight 1 national championship with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over No. 2 seed Ceire Mullins of Hillsborough (Florida). Asghar did not drop a set in four victories.

In Flight 2, Soli, the No. 1 seed from Carson, California, grinded out a key three-set victory over No. 2 Emily Chang of ASA Miami. Soli won 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to notch a key head-to-head win against the Silver Storm.

Ito, the No. 1 seed from Kanagawa, Japan, won the Flight 5 championship with a 6-4, 6-1 over Lisa Khamassi of ASA Miami. It was another crucial head-to-head point.

Two Apache Ladies finished as runners-up – Oceane Garibal in Flight 4 and Elena Tendero in Flight 6.

Garibal, a freshman from Saint Tropez, France, lost to No. 2 seed Bianca Vitale of Broward, 6-3, 7-6 (1), while Tendero, a sophomore from Alicante, Spain, fell to No. 2 seed Ghita Nassik of ASA Miami, 6-1, 6-3.

Dugleisy Linarez, the No. 4 seed from ASA Miami, won Fight 3 with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over No. 3 seed Kokoro Chishaki of St. Petersburg.

Soli and Montana, a sophomore Bradenton, Florida, captured the Flight 2 Doubles crown that clinched the championship for their team. Soli and Montana, the No. 1 seeds, downed No. 5 seeds Satomi Momose and Anastasha Worlds, of St. Petersburg, 6-2, 6-2.

The Flight 1 champions were No. 2 seeds Chishaki and Anita Detlava of St. Petersburg, a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory over No. 3 seeds Chang and Yuliana Monroy of ASA Miami.

In Flight 3, No. 1 Khamassi and Sarah Wardenburg of ASA won with a 6-1, 6-2 win over victory over Broward’s No. 2 Anastasiia Goncharova and Isidora Petkovic.

SMOKE SIGNALS: Connell, the sixth year TJC coach, was awarded Coach of the Tournament honors. Other members of the TJC national championship team are freshman Mekeila Erspamer of Long Beach, California, and sophomore Michelle Walker of Tomball. … Kim Ketelsen and Brent Krivokapich are assistant coaches. … Twenty-eight teams competed in the tournament. … Barton Community College Kansas won the 2017 Jovana Vasic Spirit of Competition Award. … The TJC men, ranked No. 1 with an unbeaten record, begin their quest for a national championship on May 15 in Plano.

 

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