SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University women's tennis team earned a 4-1 victory over Mercyhurst University in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament Monday at the SRU Tennis Courts.
 
The victory, Slippery Rock's seventh in as many matches, improves SRU's record to 13-6 overall while Mercyhurst drops to 16-6 following the loss. Monday's win sends The Rock into the PSAC Tournament semifinals Friday against Millersville University.
 
Additionally, SRU's win was also important past the conference level as The Rock came into the match ranked third in the Atlantic Region while Mercyhurst was fourth. No matter the outcome of the remainder of the tournament, Monday's triumph very likely ensured Slippery Rock of earning an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.
 
Slippery Rock punched its ticket to the PSAC Tournament semifinals for a fifth consecutive year by capturing the doubles point and earning three victories from the back half of its singles lineup.
 
The Rock and Lakers split the first two completed doubles matches of the day as Dari Sakhanova and Tina Slovak bested Valentiine Budin and Kiersten Brown, 6-1, from the third flight only for MU's top pairing of Roisin Murphy and Kayla Dean to defeat Amaia Balaguer Brau and Nicole Kempton, 6-4.
 
In front of an enthusiastic home crowd, Slippery Rock's senior duo of Gabriela del Val del Toro and Nuria Martin Lopez clinched the first team point of the match by downing Sara Bertolez Puente and Daria Rogova out of the second flight, 7-6.
 
The Rock's veteran most team are now 11-2 on the season overall and winners in nine straight matches.
 
While Mercyhurst avoided the shutout in the singles portion of the match when Rogova recorded a 6-1, 6-2 victory against del Val del Toro in the second flight, Slippery Rock earned victories from the third, fifth and sixth flights to secure the postseason victory.
 
Sakhanova followed up her doubles win by defeating Murphy (6-4, 6-0) and Martin Lopez bettered Budin (6-2, 6-1) with Slovak sealing the win by way of a 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) win against Brown.
 
Slovak and Sakhanova are both on seven-match winning streaks. Martin Lopez meanwhile has captured four straight victories.
 
Slippery Rock and Millersville's PSAC Tournament semifinal contest is set for a 1 p.m. start Friday at the Burt Reese Tennis Center on the campus of Bloomsburg University in what will be a re-match of last year's semifinal match which SRU won 4-0.  






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