Jarvis Leads Winston-Salem Salem State to 2011 CIAA Women’s Tennis Championship

Lady Rams win a classic battle over Shaw to take first women’s tennis title in school history

April 23, 2011

PETERSBURG, VA  - It was a match for the ages when the Winston-Salem State Lady Rams (27-1) took a 5-4 win over the Shaw Lady Bears to with the 2011 Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association (CIAA) Women’s Tennis Championship, Saturday afternoon at the Virginia State University Tennis Complex. The match, which took nearly four hours, featured a titanic battle between the two top women’s tennis teams in the CIAA.

In the end, it came down to the number four singles, which went into a tiebreaker in the third set before the outcome was decided. With the first CIAA championship in school history hanging on the outcome of her singles match, WSSU sophomore Kalin Jarvis dug deep to take the 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4) win. Neither competitor showed an ounce of quit as Jarvis battled her way to the victory.

“I had a lot of pressure on me, but I just had to take my time and play my game,” Jarvis said following the victory. “I just had to play like I practiced. I think I got caught up in everybody cheering and I just had to remember to keep the balls on the court.”

With a player absent, Shaw forfeited both the third doubles and sixth singles slot before play even began in the best-of-nine match. Shaw's number one doubles team of Aline Ferreira and Vimbai Mawisire had an easy time defeating WSSU sophomores Kayla Carter and Jarvis 8-2. But at second doubles, in a match that had all the spectators on the edge of their seats, WSSU sophomores Sloane Holmes and Bianka Locklear were pushed to the brink by Lolia Kienka and Evan Okafor, eking out an 8-6 win.

In singles play, Winston-Salem State's number five, Dominique Lindsay, brought in an early 6-0, 6-1 win over Desiree Bell, giving Winston-Salem a 4-1 lead and putting them one point from victory.  However, Shaw's Ferreira was the next to report - with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Locklear to pull the Lady Bears within two.  Soon after, Shaw's Mawisire reported her 6-3, 6-1 victory over Carter, cutting WSSU's lead to one with two matches still on the court.

At the number one singles, Kienka defeated Holmes 6-3, 6-3, tying the match at 4-4.  On court four, the fourth singles were playing into the third set - and then in a third-set tiebreaker to determine the match.  In the end, WSSU's Jarvis handed Okafor the 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4) defeat to give Winston-Salem State their first CIAA women's tennis title.

The conference championship caps a whirlwind year for Winston-Salem State women’s tennis as the team made the transition from NCAA Division I to Division II and had a coaching change. The 2011 title is the first under WSSU tennis coach John Martin.

“I think that everything happened for the betterment of the program,” Jarvis added. “We’re definitely a stronger program and we expect to keep winning. I’m just a sophomore so I expect two more.”

The Lady Bears finish their season with a 17-8 mark, while the Lady Rams move into the NCAA Tournament with a 27-1 overall record.