BACK TO BACK AGAIN! Lady Pirates Win 5th Title With 5-2 Win Over Lynn

In Houston in 2008, the Armstrong Atlantic State women's tennis team won the national title over Lynn. That morning, both Alida Muller-Wehlau and Gabriella Kovacs had match point, with Muller-Wehlau scoring the deciding point in the 5-2 win.

This year, it was Kovacs' turn.

The junior from Szazhalombatta, Hungary, closed out a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over Jessica Yanoff at No. 4 singles to clinch the No. 3-ranked Lady Pirates' fifth NCAA Division II Women's Tennis National Championship, 5-2 again, over No. 1-ranked Lynn.

The Pirates entered singles play needing just three wins, but Lynn won the first set in four of the six singles matches.

AASU picked up points at No. 1 singles when top-ranked Sona Novakova defeated No. 11-ranked Katerina Jiskrova, 6-3, 6-3, and No. 16-ranked Alida Muller-Wehlau knocked off No. 15-ranked Magdalena Ekert, 6-4, 6-0.

Tessie Salame notched a 6-1, 6-0 win over Alisa Kagukina at No. 6 singles, but the Lady Pirates were able to push the other three singles matches into third sets.

AASU now joins BYU-Hawaii (2002, 2003) as the only teams to win Division II Back-to-Back National Championships with both the men's and the women's teams. The Lady Pirates have also won back-to-back titles twice in school history, the first coming in 1995 and 1996. AASU evened its mark in NCAA DII National Championship contests at 5-5 - this was the Lady Pirates 10th appearance in the final.

The players will take time to have dinner and celebrate tonight, then return to Savannah on Sunday. A special celebration reception has been planned at 3:30 p.m. on campus to welcome home the two National Champions, it will take place in the clubhouse of Compass Point housing. Be sure to come out and help join us celebrate the National Champions.... again!