Women's Tennis Upsets Northwestern in GPAC Quarterfinals
(South Sioux City, NE) – The fifth-seeded Hastings Broncos outlasted the fourth-seeded Northwestern Red Raiders in the quarterfinals of the GPAC Tournament in a thriller, 4-3. The Broncos avenged their 5-2 loss in the regular season by winning four singles matches to pick up the programs’ first conference tournament win since they won it all back in 2019.
(South Sioux City, NE) – The fifth-seeded Hastings Broncos outlasted the fourth-seeded Northwestern Red Raiders in the quarterfinals of the GPAC Tournament in a thriller, 4-3. The Broncos avenged their 5-2 loss in the regular season by winning four singles matches to pick up the programs' first conference tournament win since they won it all back in 2019.
The match featured many twists and turns with most players flipping their results from the regular season match, as the switch to indoors had an impact in the match. Northwestern started off doubles with a 6-1 win at #3 doubles. Junior Paige Willcoxon and freshman Cara Ansbach tied it up with a 6-2 win at #2 doubles. Sophomores Josline Carter and Victoria Harris held a 4-1 lead, but the Red Raiders put together a furious rally to win 7-5 and go up 1-0 after doubles.
Ansbach dominated her match from the start at #4 singles, 6-2, 6-0, avenging her loss in the previous matchup. Willcoxon also flipped the script from her last matchup against the Red Raiders, taking the first set 6-1. She trailed 4-3 in the second, then after holding serve to tie it at four, she broke the Red Raider serve and won her last service game with ease, taking the second set 6-4. Harris won her first set at #2 singles, 6-1, but Northwestern closed the match strong, winning 6-4, 6-3 in the final two sets.
Sophomore Abby Harveson trailed 4-1 in the opening set, but came back and prevailed in a tight first set tiebreak at 7-5. She used that momentum to win the second set easily, 6-2, and take a 3-2 lead in the match. Freshman Lexi Benson lost the first set in a tiebreak, 7-4, at #5 singles. She won the second set 6-1, but ultimately fell 6-4 in the final set to tie up the match score at three-all.
Carter dropped the first set 7-5 at #1 singles in what proved to be the deciding match, then with the score at four-all in the second, she broke the Red Raiders' serve and held to take the second set, 6-4. She led 3-1 to begin the third, but Northwestern was able to even it up at three-all. From there it was all Carter, as she won the final three games to win 6-3. She broke Northwestern's serve twice, including the final game, to send the Broncos to the semifinals.
The Broncos will play at approximately 2:30pm this afternoon against the top-seeded Morningside Mustangs at the First Serve Tennis Center in South Sioux City, NE.
