Top Seeds Shaw, Johnson C. Smith Advance to CIAA Tennis Championship Finals
Lady Bears, Golden Bulls to meet in championship finals for third straight time
ETTRICK, VA - There were no upsets in the semifinal round of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Women’s Tennis Championship as the Shaw Lady Bears and the Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls both secured dominant wins to advance to the 2022 CIAA Women’s Tennis Championship Finals, Friday afternoon. The #1 Lady Bears (16-3) wasted little time in taking a 4-0 win over the #5 Winston-Salem State Rams (4-9) while the #2 Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls (11-9) took a 5-0 win over the #3 Bowie State Bulldogs (11-4).
The Shaw Lady Bears (16-3) got the day started when the team took a dominating 4-0 win over the Winston-Salem State Rams (4-9). The Lady Bears took control of the match in doubles play. The duo of senior Kundai Mayonga and junior Chetna Kumari got things started when they took a 6-0 win at #3 doubles. At #2 doubles, Shaw continued their domination with a 6-0 win. It was the pair of junior Sevval Oszeker and freshman Anja Antoijevic added a 6-0 win at #2 doubles to clinch the doubles point. The #1 doubles match was unfinished.
In singles play, the Lady Bears continued their dominant effort with three wins to seal the victory. At #6 singles, Antoijevic took a 6-0, 6-0 win to get things started. There were simultaneous wins at #4 and #5 singles to seal the win. Shaloom Delgado added a 6-0, 6-0 win at #5 singles while Chetna Kumari clinched the victory with a 6-0, 6-0 win at #4 singles. The singles matches in the first three individual slots were all unfinished.
The second semifinal match of the day was more competitive, but in the end, the higher-seeded Golden Bulls were able to pull out the 5-0 victory. The Golden Bulls got things going with a pair of doubles wins. The team took a 6-0 win at #3 doubles with the duo of JCSU freshman Shaytonya Missick and freshman Sanaa Hewitt claiming a 6-0 win. It was the duo of freshman Kyndall Ragins and graduate Cierra Turner who clinched the doubles win with a 6-1 victory at #2 doubles.
In singles play, the Golden Bulls clinched the victory with some great individual play. JCSU Junior Chengeto Moyana kicked things off with a 6-0, 6-0 win at #3 singles to kick things off while Hewitt took a 6-0, 6-1 win at #6 singles to give the Golden Bulls a 3-0 lead in the match. The Golden Bulls had simultaneous wins at #4 and #5 singles to seal the victory. Turner claimed a 6-1, 6-0 win at #5 singles while junior Taylor Profett-Brooks took a 6-1, 6-0 win at #4 singles to put some icing on the victory cake.
With the win, the Golden Bulls and the Lady Bears will advance to the 2022 CIAA Women’s Tennis Championship Finals. The two teams are set for an 12:00 p.m. start at the Virginia State University Tennis Courts. For more information on CIAA Women’s Tennis, visit www.TheCIAA.com.