CSU outlasts GCSU and rain for 5-0 NCAA Regional Semifinal win

FLORENCE, SC – Eighth-ranked Columbus State University rallied for wins at the top two doubles positions and then endured a long rain delay before claiming a 5-0 win over 29th-ranked Georgia College & State University, Friday afternoon (May 8) in the second semifinal of the NCAA Division II Women’s Tennis Southeast Regional Tournament in Florence, S.C.

The Cougars improve to 21-3 and advance to face seventh-ranked and host Francis Marion University (19-4) in the regional title match, Saturday at 1 p.m. That winner advances to the Division II national finals (Sweet Sixteen), May 13-16, in Altamonte Springs, Fla.

GCSU ends its season with a 9-11 record.

Columbus State’s Erin Reynolds and Daniela Castillo took an 8-1 win at No.3 doubles to give the Cougars an early 1-0 lead. However, GCSU held leads of 5-4 at No.1 and 4-3 at No.2 doubles.

CSU’s Hanane Toumi and Roxana Dondera won two straight games and then dropped two in-a-row to still trail 6-5 to Diane Danna and Bertille Lion at the No.2 position. Toumi and Dondera captured the come-from-behind victory by winning the final three games for an 8-6 score.

At the top spot, CSU’s Eva Petschnig and Lindsey Groenewald rallied from 5-4, 6-5, and 7-6 deficits to take an 8-7 lead, but GCSU’s Marjorie Ceppo and Gabby Acuna rallied to knot the match at 8-8 and force a tiebreaker. The GCSU pair again got off to the early lead at 2-0, but the Columbus State duo won seven of the next eight points, capped by an unforced error by GCSU, to win the tiebreaker 7-3 and the third doubles point.

As singles play began, a thunderstorm enveloped the Kassab Courts and play was halted for two hours and twenty minutes. After play resumed, Castillo earned a quick 6-0, 6-0 win at the No.4 singles position, and a short time later, Reynolds ended the match with a 6-1, 6-2 victory at No.6.

CSU assistant coach James Bryce was pleased with the Cougars’ effort. “In tournament play, you are always happy to move on. I was happy with our play in singles and we took care of business. Now we must rest up and come out ready to play on Saturday.”

Francis Marion and Columbus State split two meetings during the 2009 season with CSU claiming a 5-4 regular-season win in Florence and the Patriots getting a 5-3 win in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament.