MGCCC Women take 2nd in Region 23

No. 13 Mississippi Gulf Coast still has more postseason tennis to play after falling in the finals of the NJCAA Region 23 Women's Tennis Championship at Jones on Saturday.

The Bulldogs (15-4) lost 5-0 to the No. 12 Bobcats. Gulf Coast had earned a trip to next month's NJCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championship in Mesa, Ariz., by winning Friday's match over East Central.

"The score on the women's side doesn't show the fight and grit," Gulf Coast coach Sam Blackburn said. "We came out hot and were pushing Jones at the beginning. It kind of got away from us, but from the first shot to the last shot, they put everything they had into it. Jones was just a better team."

Gulf Coast has lost two different players at No. 2 singles this year, forcing players to move up two spots in the lineup. The Bulldogs still finished as MACCC runners-up in addition to the same spot in the regional.

Kasey Kent (Fr., Ridgeland/Ridgeland) was up a set and a break at that No. 2 spot when Jones clinched the match, which ended play on all other courts.

The NJCAA tournament begins May 1. It's a five-day event, and it will include Jones, Gulf Coast and Copiah-Lincoln, which beat East Central in the third-place match.

Krissy Georgieva (So., Epsom and Ewell High School/Sutton, England) received her All-MACCC award after the event.

Results

Team: Jones 5, Gulf Coast 0

Doubles

No. 1: Andrea Vlasceanu-Judith Mills (JC) def. Krissy Georgieva-Kasey Kent, 8-6

No. 2: Mia Hoddinhaus-Addy Seward (JC) def. Kaylen Bond-Anna Stringer, 8-1

No. 3: Ally Brooke Chism-Allie Johnson (JC) def. Tia Topps-Ashley Chelette, 8-4

Singles

No. 3: Seward (JC) def. Bond, 6-0, 6-2

No. 4: Mills (JC) def. Stringer, 6-0, 6-0

NJCAA Region 23 Women's Tennis Championship

Ellisville, Miss.

Thursday, April 15

Quarterfinals

No. 4 Copiah-Lincoln 5, No. 5 Meridian 4

No. 6 East Central 5, No. 3 Hinds 4

Friday, April 16

Semifinals

No. 1 Jones 5, No. 4 Copiah-Lincoln 0

No. 2 Gulf Coast 5, No. 6 East Central 3

Saturday, April 17

Finals

No. 1 Jones 5, No. 2 Gulf Coast

Third-place match

No. 4 Copiah-Lincoln 5, No. 6 East Central 0

For more information on MGCCC's 10 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.