The No. 4-ranked Sea Lions defeated sixth-ranked Brenau (Ga.) Thursday 5-1 in a NAIA quarterfinal match at the Mobile Tennis Courts. PLNU improved to 20-3 on the year and advance to Friday's semifinals with Fresno Pacific.
Point Loma Nazarene gathered in all three doubles points to take a big 3-0 lead into singles. Kiersten Steinhauer and Wileen Chiu won their pairing 8-4 on three. Kristin Strimple and Ashley Litchfield came out ahead 9-7 on one in a close match with Rachel Owens and Jessica Kwan pulling out an even closer win on two, 9-8.
The Sea Lions needed just two singles points to garner the team win and did just that. Strimple cruised to a 6-3, 6-3 win against Lyn See Choo on court one for the fourth point. Play was stopped when PLNU hauled in the fifth and deciding point on six where Chiu defeated Eline Nagels 7-6(7-4), 6-3.
The Golden Eagles gained their lone point on court three, Jolene Wong besting Owens 6-2, 6-2.
PLNU was looking good on the remaining courts. Litchfield was a game away from sealing the deal on two; Kwan was headed to a third set on four while Steinhauer had won her first set and was tied 2-2 in the second.
Fresno Pacific, the NAIA's second-ranked squad, rolled over Azusa Pacific 5-0 in another quarterfinal match. The Sunbirds are 25-1 on the year, including two wins over PLNU, 5-2 in a rain-shortened match in San Diego and 7-2 in Fresno.
Singles:
No. 1 – Kristin Strimple (PLNU) def. Lyn See Choo (BU), 6-3, 6-3
No. 2 – Ashley Litchfield (PLNU) vs. Katerina Mazackova (BU), 6-2, 5-4, DNF
No. 3 – Jolene Wong (BU) def. Rachel Owens (PLNU), 6-2, 6-2
No. 4 – Jessica Kwan (PLNU) vs. Hannah Thompson (BU), 6-3, 0-6, DNF
No. 5 – Kiersten Steinhauer (PLNU) vs. Liubov Orlova (BU), 7-6, 2-2, DNF
No. 6 – Wileen Chiu (PLNU) def. Eline Nagels (BU), 7-6 (4), 6-3
Doubles:
No. 1 – Kristin Strimple / Ashley Litchfield (PLNU) def. Lyn See Choo / Katerina Mazackova (BU), 9-7
No. 2 – Rachel Owens / Jessica Kwan (PLNU) def. Jolene Wong / Liubov Orlova (BU), 9-8 (3)
No. 3 – Kiersten Steinhauer / Wileen Chiu (PLNU) def. Eline Nagels / Hanna Thompson (BU), 8-4
