BOWIE, MD- The Chowan University women's tennis team's hopes of repeating as CIAA Champions were dashed on Saturday afternoon in a narrow 5-3 loss to Shaw University.  With the win, the Lady Bears secured an appearance to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region tournament, earning an automatic bid.
Shaw stands 21-2 after the win while Chowan posts a 20-9 record on the year with the setback.

In doubles action, the Lady Bears took two out of three matches against the Hawks to gain an early lead.  Marilyne Kamegne and Daniela defeated Polina Novachuk and Victoria Smolchenkova 9-8 (7-4) in the number one position while Cynthia Carrier and Angelique Gouin picked up the 8-5 win for Chowan over Helena Fekete and Teodora Jovanovic in the number two doubles match. At the number three doubles, Roxana Daneshjoo and Anna Makhneva dropped 8-4 to Simbiat Aleem and Andrijana Martic.

Holding a 2-1 advantage heading into singles action, Vanko earned the tiebreaker win over Novachuk in the number one singles play, 6-4, 2-6, 10-8. Smolchenkova grabbed the number two singles 6-1, 6-3 over Jovanovic while, Carrier fought for the win over Kamegne 1-6, 6-4, 12-10 for the Hawks. Shaw's Martic earned the win in the number four singles match over Gouin, before Aleem beat Makhneva 6-0, 6-1 to secure the Championship title for the Lady Bears.

Over the course of the 2016-17 season, the Hawks clinched their fourth consecutive CIAA Northern Division title in as many years, highlighted by an unblemished 15-1 record in league play.  Novachuk headlined the 2017 All-CIAA Team as the Player of the Year, as well as teammate earned All-CIAA Team.

Shaw University 5, Chowan 3
4/22/2017 at Laurel, Md. (Fairfield Aquatics & Tennis Center) 

Singles competition

1. VANKO, Daniela (SU-W17) def. NOVACHUK,Polina (CU-W) 6-4, 2-6, 10-8

2. SMOLCHENKOVA,Victori (CU-W) def. JOVANOVIC, Teodora (SU-W17) 6-1, 6-3

3. CARRIER,Cynthia (CU-W) def. KAMEGNE, Marilyne (SU-W17) 1-6, 6-4, 12-10

4. MARTIC, Andrijana (SU-W17) def. GOUIN,Angelique (CU-W) 6-1, 6-4

5. ALEEM, Simbiat (SU-W17) def. MAKHNEVA,Anna (CU-W) 6-0, 6-1

6. PACELLI,Franca (CU-W) vs. FEKETE, Helena (SU-W17) unfinished

Doubles competition

1. KAMEGNE, Marilyne/VANKO, Daniela (SU-W17) def. NOVACHUK,Polina/SMOLCHENKOVA,Victori (CU-W) 9-8 (7-4)

2. CARRIER,Cynthia/GOUIN,Angelique (CU-W) def. FEKETE, Helena/JOVANOVIC, Teodora (SU-W17) 8-5

3. ALEEM, Simbiat/MARTIC, Andrijana (SU-W17) def. DANESHJOO,Roxana/MAKHNEVA,Anna (CU-W) 8-4

Match Notes

Chowan 20-4

CIAA Women's Tennis Chamionship Finals