Slippery Rock University Athletics

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The No. 28 Slippery Rock University women's tennis team defeated No. 24 Indiana University (Pa.), 4-0, to win the 2026 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament championship Saturday at the Burt Reese Tennis Center in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.
 
Saturday's win serves as The Rock's fourth all-time conference championship, and their first since 2003. While Slippery Rock was already a lock to make the NCAA Tournament, the conference championship gives SRU the automatic bid to the national tournament from the PSAC as well as the inside the track on being the top seed in the Atlantic Region.
 
Slippery Rock will be making its 23rd trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1995-96. SRU has now earned eight consecutive NCAA Tournament berths, including a season ago when it advanced to the Round of 16.
 
The official release of the 48-team field for the 2026 NCAA Tournament will be announced 8:30 p.m. May 4 on NCAA.com.
 
The hottest team in the Atlantic Region, Slippery Rock has won six consecutive matches to improve its record to 15-3 on the year. IUP, which will more than likely be the second seed in the Atlantic Region when the NCAA Tournament bracket is revealed, saw its record drop to 19-7 on the year with the loss.
 
Slippery Rock has now earned two consecutive postseason wins over the Crimson Hawks as SRU also defeated Indiana in last year's NCAA Tournament match between the two PSAC West rivals.
 
Amaia Balaguer Brau was named the PSAC Tournament MVP. The two-time PSAC West Athlete of the Year went 3-0 in first flight singles matches over the course of the conference tournament in addition to teaming with Tina Slovak for three wins out of the second doubles flight.
 
Slippery Rock opened Saturday's championship match by collecting the doubles point. SRU has now earned the doubles point in all but one match this season.
 
Balaguer Brau and Slovak tallied a 6-3 victory over Hannah Beitat and Asel Calbay in the second flight followed by Alissia Kivi and Nicole Kempton – the 41st ranked team in the nation - beating Annemiek Sterk and Maria Moskaltsova in a 6-4 decision to clinch the first team point of the match.
 
Saturday's wins were the 20th of the season for both Kivi and Kempton (20-4) and Slovak and Balaguer Brau (20-11).
 
The singles portion of the championship bout started with Balaguer Brau besting Lea Von Kozierowski 6-3, 6-0. The Rock continued to edge closer to the conference title when Kempton posted a 6-2, 6-3 win over Moskaltsova from the third flight.
 
Kivi – who was ranked 74th in the nation in the most recent ITA Division II singles rankings – officially snapped Slippery Rock's 23-year conference title drought by way of a 7-6, 6-2 second-flight victory against Calbay.
 
Balaguer Brau, Kivi and Kempton have all had outstanding seasons atop The Rock's singles lineup. Balaguer Brau holds a 21-7 overall record while Kivi is 23-4 with Kempton on the cusp of earning a 20-win year as well at 19-6.
 
Information on The Rock's NCAA Tournament opponent, dates and locations will be announced following the NCAA Tournament selection show on the evening of May 4.





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