NAIA INVITATIONAL | Arizona Athletic Grounds | Mesa, Ariz.
Friday's Schedule
10 a.m. – No. 1 SOU vs. No. 4 Ottawa (Ariz.) (Pool Play)
2:30 or 4:30 p.m. – TBD (Quarterfinals)
Saturday's Schedule
10 a.m. – TBD (Semifinals)
1 p.m. – TBD (Championship)
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
MESA, Ariz. — Top-ranked Southern Oregon started the NAIA Invitational unbeaten in pool play, first routing No. 5 Ave Maria (Fla.) 4-1 before defeating No. 8 Wayland Baptist (Texas) 3-2 on Thursday at the Arizona Athletic Grounds.
The Raiders (21-2 overall) enjoyed six straight set sweeps between both duals, including two from their top pair of Grace Gulbrandsen and Tessa Zimmermann and No. 5 pair Kendal Hadwick and Natalie Perez.
In their first matchup against Ave Maria (15-4), SOU dropped the first match of the morning before No. 4 pair Kaitlyn Shilling and Amanda Moffat won a tiebreaker set 17-15, tying the dual up 1-1. Zimmermann and Gulbrandsen made quick work on Court 1 (21-7, 21-13) and Hadwick and Perez clinched the win, going 21-12, 21-8.
In the Wayland Baptist (21-5) dual, SOU's No. 2 pair of Kira Sandoval and Molly Grace struck first, winning 21-17, 21-16. Shilling and Moffat pushed to another tiebreaker set, but fell 15-13 before Zimmermann and Gulbrandsen won again 21-18, 21-18. The three pairs finished next, with WPU's pair earning a 21-6, 21-12 victory to tie things up 2-2. Hadwick and Perez finished the afternoon off for the Raiders winning 22-20 and 21-17.
"It was a fun, challenging day," said coach Paul Elliott. "We had wind to deal with and stiff competition. The tournament will start Friday afternoon when bracket play begins."
SOU plays its final dual in pool play against No. 4 Ottawa (Ariz.) on Friday at 10 a.m. before all eight teams are seeded for the single-elimination bracket. The Raiders play in the quarterfinals later in the afternoon at either 2:30 p.m. or 4:30 p.m.
(1) Southern Oregon 4, (5) Ave Maria 1
1. Grace Gulbrandsen/Tessa Zimmermann (SOU) def. Adriana Bravo/ Mara Delyon (AMU) 21-7, 21-13
2. Ines Lopes/Ryan Getz (AMU) def. Kira Sandoval/Molly Grace (SOU) 21-14, 24-22
3. Maelle Garon/Andressa Ribeiro Soares (SOU) def. Elle Malczewski and Greta Heiney (AMU) 21-15, 23-21
4. Kaitlyn Shilling/Amanda Moffat (SOU) def. Beat de Souza Rissi and Maria Teixeira (AMU) 21-14, 20-22, 17-15
5. Kendal Hadwick/Natalie Perez (SOU) def. Abbey Grose and Maylis Detar (AMU) 21-12, 21-8
Order of finish: 2-4-1-5-3
(1) Southern Oregon 3, (8) Wayland Baptist 2
1. Grace Gulbrandsen/Tessa Zimmermann (SOU) def. Taisiia Kalchenko and Deniz Yileri (WPU) 21-18, 21-18
2. Kira Sandoval/Molly Grace (SOU) def. Selma Sutaj and Alaina Baran (WPU) 21-17, 21-16
3. Henry--Souquet-Bres and Averi Penner (WPU) def. Maelle Garon/Andressa Ribeiro Soares (SOU) 21-6, 21-12
4. Frida Espeseth and Alliot--Maslankiewi (WPU) def. Kaitlyn Shilling/Amanda Moffat (SOU) 15-21, 21-15, 15-13
5. Kendal Hadwick/Natalie Perez (SOU) def. Valentim de Souza J and Carlee Heidebrecht (WPU) 22-20, 21-17
Order of finish: 2-4-1-3-5