PHOENIX—Idaho's lone senior Claire Yang played the biggest points of her career on Saturday, helping the Vandals win their third straight Big Sky Women's Tennis Championship.

All eyes turned to the No. 6 court to decide the championship. NAU fought back from a 3-1 whole to tie match, leaving Yang and Hailey Rochin to determine the title. The senior from Taipei City, Taiwan, opened the match with a thrilling 7-6(3) win. Rochin battled back in the second with a 6-2 win to even the match. Yang won the first game of the final set, but Rochin would gain an early 3-1 advantage. Yang prevailed with four of the next five games, taking the third set 6-3.

"Claire showed a lot of heart," head coach Babar Akbar explained. "She was down 3-1 in the final set. She showed a lot of heart and courage. She used her experience as a senior and was able to win it from there.

"That is what this team is about. Heart and courage. The girls have earned this."

Idaho got out to an early 1-0 lead, winning the doubles point at the start of the day. The Vandals had to fight back in the point, dropping the first match at No. 3. Jessica Brzozowska and Maria Tavares pulled Idaho even in the point with a 7-5 win at No. 2. Idaho's top pair of Marianna Petrei and Lucia Badillos out lasted NAU's top duo in a tie-breaker, 7-6(7).

"We won a tough doubles point, which was very important for us," Akbar continued. "That doubles point proved to be very decisive. It was an important win."

Petrei carried her momentum into singles play. She dispatched of Hanneke Lodewijks, 6-1, 6-1, handing the Vandals a 2-0 lead. NAU got its first singles win at No. 3 to cut back into the Idaho advantage.

Tavares brought the Silver and Gold to within one point of the championship. She scored a 6-1, 7-6(5) win over Brandy Walker at No. 4. The Lumberjacks won the next two matches at No. 5 and No. 2, knotting the match up at 3.

"NAU came back very strong in singles," Akbar added. "They were tough. They stepped up and won matches that we were hoping to win. That put a lot of pressure on us."

Idaho will make its fourth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Vandals streak began in 2014 when they won the Western Athletic Conference. Idaho will learn its destination for the NCAA Tournament, along with the rest of the field, on Tuesday, May 2. The 2017 Women's NCAA Tennis Selection Show will be lived streamed at 2:30 p.m. PT.
 

Singles competition

1. Petrei, Marianna (UI) def. Hanneke Lodewijks (NAU) 6-1, 6-1

2. Chiara Tomasetti (NAU) def. Brzozowska, Jessica (UI) 6-2, 7-6 (7-3)

3. Blanka Szavay (NAU) def. Badillos, Lucia (UI) 6-3, 6-1

4. Tavares, Maria (UI) def. Brandy Walker (NAU) 6-1, 7-6 (7-5)

5. Marta Lewandowska (NAU) def. Watabe, Shion (UI) 6-4, 6-4

6. Yang, Claire (UI) def. Hailey Rochin (NAU) 7-6 (7-3), 2-6, 6-3

 

Doubles competition

1. Petrei, Marianna/Badillos, Lucia (UI) def. Chiara Tomasetti/Blanka Szavay (NAU) 7-6 (9-7)

2. Brzozowska, Jessica/Tavares, Maria (UI) def. Hanneke Lodewijks/Brandy Walker (NAU) 7-5

3. Marta Lewandowska/Hailey Rochin (NAU) def. Watabe, Shion/Yang, Claire (UI) 6-1

 

Match Notes

Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (1,3,4,5,2,6)