The University of North Dakota women’s tennis team defeated Omaha, 4-3, in the semifinal round of the Summit League Women’s Tennis Championships on April 24. With this victory, North Dakota moves on to the championship match for only the second time in program history and will face top-seeded Denver at 10 a.m. Central Time on Saturday.
This advancement is significant for North Dakota as it marks another milestone in their program’s development. The close nature of the match highlighted the competitive balance between both teams.
“We knew going in to this match that there would not be very much separation between these two teams,” said North Dakota head tennis coach Tom Boysen. “Opportunities would be at a premium.” The Fighting Hawks capitalized early by winning doubles matches on courts one and two, securing an initial lead. Alva Norberg and Andrea Pineda claimed a decisive 6-1 win, while Ethel Li and Jule Schulte finished with a 6-4 result.
Boysen emphasized how well both squads understood each other’s playing styles: “The players all know each other’s games and tendencies so well,” he said. “It makes toughness, grit, bravery and focus that much more important.” In singles play, Norberg extended North Dakota’s advantage before Omaha leveled the score with wins from their top two positions. Alyssa Giupponi then helped reclaim UND’s lead by coming back from an opening set loss to win her singles match.
With everything tied at three points apiece, freshman Emma Roberts secured victory for North Dakota by rallying from a first-set deficit to win her singles contest with consecutive sets of 6-3. Boysen praised his team’s determination: “I am so happy that these young women were so willing to not be paralyzed by how much they wanted to win this match, but instead they turned it into fighting for each other and a common goal.” He added: “We are thrilled to get the opportunity to play for a Summit League Championship tomorrow.”
For further updates about North Dakota women’s tennis, fans can follow @UNDwtennis on social media or visit FightingHawks.com.
