Falling just short of its second Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association regular season championship in three years, the Kalamazoo College women's tennis team finished the 2016 season with a 7-1 conference record and a second place finish. With the finish, the Hornets will face Calvin College in the first round of the MIAA tournament.
The Match Ups
May 5
Semifinal #1 – No. 4 St. Mary's (14-6, 5-3) at No. 1 Hope (16-4, 8-0) – 12 p.m. (Holland, Mich.)
Semifinal #2 – No. 3 Calvin (13-6, 6-2) at No. 2 Kalamazoo (10-10, 7-1) – 1 p.m. (Kalamazoo, Mich.)
The MIAA final will be held on May 6. Time and location are TBA.
Previous Meeting
In the lone meeting of the season between the Hornets and Knights, Kalamazoo came away victorious with a 6-3 win inside the Markin Racquet Center. The Hornets went 2-1 in the doubles matches winning one and two doubles before taking four of the six match ups in the singles matches.
What to Watch for
Sarah Woods, who recently won her 150th career match, has been the Hornets most consistent performer throughout the 2016 season. A winner of her last 11 singles matches, Woods ended conference play with an 8-0 singles record and holds a 5-1 record against regionally ranked opponents. Woods advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament as a freshman in 2013 and will look to go even further this year with the tournament once again being held on the campus of Kalamazoo College.
Others standing out during conference play for the Hornets have been Sabrina Dass, Maria Franco and Katie Clark. The trio combined to go 22-2 throughout the MIAA season and will play key matches for the Hornets in the postseason.
Kalamazoo has won of seven of its last nine matches, including non-conference play.
Thursday's semifinal will take place at Stowe Stadium and will be followed by the men's tennis team's semifinal match against the Knights.