Box Score
CHICAGO – Fourth-seeded NJIT captured the 2011 Great West Conference Women's Tennis title Sunday, defeating third-seeded North Dakota, 4-2.
The women's tennis team becomes the first NJIT team to capture a championship in Division I. The Highlanders, winners of their last 12 out of 13 matches, end the season with a 17-8 mark in the program's fifth year of Division I competition.
The Highlanders reached the finals after sweeping fifth-seeded and host Chicago State, 4-0, in Saturday's first quarterfinal match. The Highlanders then upset top-seed Seattle, 4-0, to advance to the championship match.
NJIT started off the match Sunday earning the doubles point with victories at first and third doubles.
Senior Nina Mayevska and Jana Luste, competing at first doubles, defeated North Dakota's Erin Kappers and Callie Ronkowski, 8-3.
Highlanders' duo Ana Lidon and Monika Graff were 8-4 winners at third doubles, downing North Dakota's Hallie Welk and Megan Sween.
NJIT won the first three singles contests in straight sets to claim the title.
Freshman Ksenia Kuzmenko was a 6-3, 6-4 winner at first singles, topping Kappers. Mayevska followed with a 6-0, 6-4 victory at the second spot, while Graff combined for a 6-1, 6-3 victory at third singles.
North Dakota's two points came at fifth and sixth singles.
Sunday's match marked the second meeting of the season between the two schools. NJIT fell 5-2 to North Dakota during the team's Spring Break trip to Orlando, Florida on March 15.
Mayevksa, a transfer from Kingsborough Community College in Brookyln, NY, joined the Highlanders squad in 2009-10. The 5-foot-8 senior finishes the season with a 10-10 mark (6-9 at second singles; 4-1 at first singles).
Lidon, a transfer from Lincoln University of Missouri, joined the team in 2008-09. Lidon finished the season with an 11-4 mark (5-1 at fifth singles; 3-3 at sixth singles).
In doubles competition, Lidon teamed with Graff and finished with a 14-5 record (9-4 at third doubles; 5-0 at second doubles, 0-1 at first doubles).
