MATCH #20 - NCAA DIVISION II WEST REGIONAL
#13 Academy of Art (17-3) vs. #5 Hawaii Pacific (17-6)
Saturday, May 3 at 10:00 AM HT (1:00 PM PT)
Honolulu, HI -- University of Hawaii Tennis Courts

OPENING SERVE
After steamrolling Point Loma Nazarene in the opening round of the PacWest Conference Championships, the Academy of Art University women's tennis team put up a fantastic fight in the semifinals against #3 BYU-Hawaii before eventually falling 5-2. They would rebound with yet another strong performance in the third-place match, sweeping away Azusa Pacific University 5-0 to take third in the conference and secure a spot in the NCAA Division II West Regional for the first time in program history.

"This is a big step for this program," head coach Beth Daub said. "Making NCAA regionals for the first time is not only a great experience for this team, but also shows them what their future can hold. The sky is the limit and these girls have worked so hard all season to be in this position."?

HAWAII PACIFIC HOLDS THE KEYS
The Sea Warriors, along with Notre Dame de Namur, were the only two teams in the 13-team PacWest Conference that the Urban Knights did not face this year in 20 matches. HPU had their hardest stretch of the year earlier at the Vegas Challenge when they started a streak of playing five top-ten teams, falling to #1 Armstrong Atlantic State, #3 Barry University, and #3 Lynn University before taking a 7-2 win from #9 Rollins College and then falling to island rival #3 BYU-Hawaii, who they would eventually lose to in the PacWest Championship finals. The Sea Warriors are ranked second in the region and boast the #5 singles player (Karen Ramirez-Rivera) and the #5 doubles team (Ramirez-Rivera and Celina Goetti) in the West, which will pose a challenge for the Knights if they want to advance in the NCAA Division II Championship bracket.

DOUBLES OR NOTHING
To say that the Urban Knights have benefitted from having a deep team is an understatement, but to back it up they have the records to show it. The Knights' second (Lucia Zavarcikova & Jenny Johansson) and third (Michelle Dandik Zaale & Annika Schneider) doubles teams are a combined 37-3, and combined with the 12-8 record from their first doubles team (Nina Gajdosikova & Daniela Amelunge Antelo) have again and again put ART U up after doubles play, a crucial advantage when it comes to their 17-3 overall record. The doubles winning percentage of .817 is by far the best mark in program history.

WHAT'S UP NEXT
If they defeat Hawaii Pacific, Academy of Art will advance to the National Championship bracket and play as the second West Region entry in Altamonte Springs, Florida (BYU-Hawaii secured first-round bye). They would face the winner of the South Central regional, which would be one of fourt schools: Midwestern State (18-3), Colorado Mesa (14-3), St. Mary's (TX) (11-4), or Cameron (15-5).