Women’s Tennis Upsets Principia to Reach UMAC Finals

ST. LOUIS — Missouri Western State University’s women’s tennis team, seeded third in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference South Division tournament, defeated No. 2 seed Principia College 4-2 in the semifinals at the Davis Tennis Center.

The victory secured the Owls a spot in the UMAC championship next weekend as one of the top two finishers in the division. The team later lost to top-seeded Greenville University, 4-0, in the final. MUW previously lost to Greenville 4-3 in Columbus about a month ago, but in Saturday’s rematch, the Owls secured the doubles point early and took a 1-0 lead.

MUW won two of three doubles matches, with Austin Hays and Bailey Flynn taking the No. 2 doubles match 6-3, and Emma Horton and Alaina Mathis winning the No. 3 doubles 6-2. The Panthers responded by winning Nos. 1 and 2 singles to lead 2-1 in team scoring.

Alaina Mathis tied the match at 2-2 with a 6-2, 6-3 victory at fifth singles. Flynn then won her match 6-4, 6-1 at fourth singles to bring the Owls within one point of victory. Horton sealed the win with a 7-5, 6-0 victory at sixth singles, rallying from a first-set loss to clinch the match.

Kayleigh Griffin’s singles match was unfinished once MUW secured the team victory. The UMAC tournament, held at the Baseline Tennis Center in Minneapolis, begins Friday with the semifinals and concludes Saturday with the championship. The winner earns an automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Division III men’s tennis tournament, according to conference officials.

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