Griffon women claim MIAA Tournament title

By Jacob Meikel

The MIAA Women’s Tennis Tournament Championship trophy will make its way back to St. Joseph for the first time ever.

Facing top-seeded Nebraska Kearney on Sunday morning in Edmond, Oklahoma, Missouri Western women’s tennis didn’t let the big stage overwhelm them. The No. 2 seed Griffs took home first place over the Lopers by a score of 4-2.

Western was unable to pick up the doubles point when the Lopers won two of the three doubles sets. But the singles matches were where the Griffons shined the brightest. Seniors Anya Chavez and Anais Peralta Criado, graduate senior Maria Saez and sophomore Cristina Granero Boj were able to take care of business in singles, ultimately earning enough points to claim the program’s first-ever conference tournament title.

The Griffons will now move on to the NCAA Division II Women’s Tennis Regionals, a tournament they had made last season, in which they won the central region. The selection show for the national tournament’s regional seeding will take place on Monday at approximately 7:30 p.m.