MOBILE, Ala. – The Embry-Riddle women's tennis team pulled off its second upset of the 2014 NAIA National Tournament as the fifth-seeded Eagles toppled No. 1 Xavier 5-2 in the semifinal round on Friday. The Eagles are now 18-5 on the year and will play for a national title for the second time in program history at 9 a.m. (CST) on Saturday.

At No. 1 doubles, the top-ranked ERAU tandem of Hui-I Huang and Kristina Marova raced out to a 5-0 lead and held off a fierce rally by fifth-ranked Kourtney Howell and Bryon Flowers to score the Eagles' first point with a 8-6 victory. The contest at the third doubles spot saw ERAU's Paula Ortiz Couder and Eva Vilar register a break to go up 4-3 and the Eagle tandem used that advantage to roll to an 8-4 victory against Carmen Nelson and Brandi Nelson to put the Blue and Gold up 2-0.

The match on the second doubles court lasted an hour and 45 minutes. Xavier's Simone-Alyse Ewell and Nour Abbes surged ahead 5-2 early on, but the ERAU pair of Paola Montero and Anna Götz stormed back to take over the lead 7-6. Both sides held serve on the next three games to force a tiebreaker. The Eagles won the first three points of the tiebreaker, but Xavier fought back and managed to pull out 7-4 win, making the team score 2-1 in favor of the Eagles.

In singles play, second-ranked Abbes pulled the Gold Nuggetts even with her 6-2, 6-1 win over No. 18 Huang at the top spot, but Ortiz Couder quickly reclaimed the lead for the Blue and Gold with her 6-0, 6-4 decision against Amber Brown on court six.

The senior duo of Marova and Montero then put their leadership on display in their respective singles matches. At the fifth spot, Montero bested Brandi Nelson 6-2 in the first and cruised to a 6-3 win in the second to put the Eagles up 4-2.

One hour and 48 minutes after the first serve on court three, Marova completed her match against Flowers, downing the Xavier sophomore 6-1, 6-3 to clinch the team victory and propel the Eagles into the tournament finale.

The Eagles, who last played in a national title match in 2012, will face Georgia Gwinnett for the national championship.


Embry-Riddle 5, Xavier 2

Singles competition
1. #2 Nour Abbes (XU) def. #18 Hui-I Huang (ERAUWT13) 6-3, 6-1
2. Kourtney Howell (XU) vs. Anna Gotz (ERAUWT13) 6-4, 3-3, unfinished
3. Kristina Marova (ERAUWT13) def. Brion Flowers (XU) 6-1, 6-3
4. Simone-Alyse Ewell (XU) vs. Eva Vilar (ERAUWT13) 5-2, 3-6, unfinished
5. Paola Montero (ERAUWT13) def. Brandi Nelson (XU) 6-2, 6-3
6. Paula Ortiz Couder (ERAUWT13) def. Amber Brown (XU) 6-0, 6-4

Doubles competition
1. Kristina Marova/Hui-I Huang (ERAUWT13) def. Kourtney Howell/Brion Flowers (XU) 8-6
2. Simone-Alyse Ewell/Nour Abbes (XU) def. Paola Montero/Anna Gotz (ERAUWT13) 9-8 (7-4)
3. Paula Ortiz Couder/Eva Vilar (ERAUWT13) def. Carmen Nelson/Brandi Nelson (XU) 8-4

Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (1,6,5,3)