Surprise, Arizona — Mississippi College’s women’s tennis team saw its historic season end Friday morning with a 4-3 loss to Catawba College in the NCAA Division II national semifinals at the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Club.
The seventh-ranked Choctaws finished the year with a 27-2 record after a competitive match that went down to the final point on court six. Catawba secured the victory with a narrow win in the decisive singles match.
Mississippi College took an early lead by winning two doubles matches. Emily Buchanan and Ann Cabot Stockett defeated their opponents 6-3 at No. 1 doubles, while Rune Van Wyk and Katharina Weber earned a 7-5 victory at No. 3 doubles. The team carried that momentum into singles play, with Weber winning in straight sets at No. 3 singles and Van Wyk adding a victory at No. 5 singles.
The match came down to No. 6 singles, where Cabot Stockett fought into a third set before Catawba clinched the victory. Despite the loss, the season marked a historic milestone for the Lady Choctaws, who went undefeated in the Gulf South Conference and posted a perfect 10-0 record on the road.
Mississippi College advanced through the NCAA South Regional, defeating Barry University — a program with seven national championships in the last eight seasons — and then beat Adelphi and Columbus State to reach the semifinals. Under head coach Michael Ward and assistant coaches Stan and Colleen Roberts, the team established itself among the nation’s elite during what many consider the program’s greatest season. Although they fell just short of the national championship, the team’s achievements signal a bright future for the Lady Choctaws in Clinton.
