Northwest Mississippi Women’s Tennis Falls to Jones College in Region 23 Semifinals

ELLISVILLE — The Northwest Mississippi Community College women’s tennis team lost 5-0 to undefeated top seed Jones College in the semifinals of the Region 23 Tournament at Bobcat Tennis Courts. The result secures a spot for the Rangers in the third-place match scheduled for 2 p.m. tomorrow, where they will face either Copiah-Lincoln Community College or Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, depending on the outcome of that matchup.

During the tournament, sophomore Meg Daves received All-MACCC honors, becoming only the second Ranger to earn the distinction. Daves, who played in the #4 singles and #2 doubles positions, holds an 11-4 singles record and an 8-6 doubles record for the season, according to team sources.

“Meg making All-Conference is such a great accomplishment,” head coach Ryan Mounce said. “It is a testament to all of her hard work over the last year. She deserved to be listed with all of the other talented players.”

In their semifinal match, Daves competed in both #2 doubles and #4 singles. Although her doubles match with partner Ángela Ortiz-Sánchez ended in an 8-2 defeat, Daves showed signs of momentum in her singles match before it was halted. After losing the first set, she kept the second close, but the match was ultimately stopped once Jones secured the win.

Despite the loss, there were notable signs of improvement from the first time NWCC faced Jones in February. Claudia Lopez Chaparro, who only won four games in her singles match earlier this year, pushed her opponent to a third set today after winning the second set 6-1. Similarly, Ortiz-Sánchez, who lost the first set badly, was leading 5-4 when play was halted. Additionally, Brooke Kicker, who won only three games in their first matchup, battled to a 7-5 first set loss today, showing resilience.

“I think there was drastic improvement from the first matchup with Jones. All six singles courts were competitive today,” Mounce said. “While we still have a lot of work to do, it shows that we have made a lot of progress.”

Tomorrow’s third-place match will be held at the same courts. Mounce emphasized the significance of the upcoming game, stating, “We still have a ton to play for! We have an opportunity to clinch an automatic bid to the national tournament. It is a great opportunity to show that our program belongs in the top of the conference.”

For updates on the NWCC women’s tennis team, fans are encouraged to follow the Rangers on social media or visit nwccrangers.com.

Match results from April 10:

• Women’s doubles: Heidi Clayton/Theresa Emelio (JC) def. Claudia Lopez Chaparro/Laura Cámara Blanco (NWCC) 8-0; Maria Martinez/Camila Belen Piquin (JC) def. Ángela Ortiz-Sánchez/Meg Daves (NWCC) 8-2; Josie Tullos/Katlin Porcello (JC) def. Brooke Kicker/Ava McCain (NWCC) 8-1.
• Women’s singles: Camila Belen Piquin (JC) def. Ángela Ortiz-Sánchez (NWCC) 6-0, 4-5 (match halted); Maria Martinez (JC) def. Laura Cámara Blanco (NWCC) 7-6, 6-0; Katlin Porcello (JC) def. Meg Daves (NWCC) 6-1, 5-4 (match halted); Josie Tullos (JC) def. Brooke Kicker (NWCC) 7-5, 5-1; Caroline Kilpatrick (JC) def. Ava McCain (NWCC) 6-3, 6-1.

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