Morningside punched its ticket for the NAIA Women’s Tennis National Championship tournament by winning the GPAC’s post-season tournament.

Morningside is headed to the NAIA Women’s Tennis National Championship tournament for the first time in school history after the Mustangs defeated Doane 5-3 in Saturday’s title match at the GPAC Tennis Championships in Fremont, Neb.

The win was the Mustangs’ 10th in a row to give the team a 12-4 record heading into the NAIA national tournament slated for May 13-17 in Mobile, Ala.

Audri Swisher

The Mustangs defeated Doane 7-2 earlier this year en route to the GPAC’s regular season championship. Morningside trailed 2-1 after the doubles competition in Saturday’s rematch before the Mustangs took control with their domination in singles play.

Katie Hanson, Jeannine Stocker, and Amanda Przymus all won their singles matches in straight sets, while Audri Swisher battled back from a first set defeat to defeat Jade Paterson 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the third flight match. The win by Swisher raised her season’s record to a team-best 12-4.

Megan Carlson

Przymus lost only two games in a 6-1, 6-1 triumph against Lani Brown in the fourth flight to raise her record to 10-4. Hanson (10-6) also won her 10th match of the season with a 6-3, 6-1 triumph against Kendra Ritter in the first flight, while Stocker leveled her record at 6-6 with a 6-2, 6-2 win against Torey Kogel in the second flight.

Morningside’s win in the doubles competition came from its third flight team of Kathryn Jones and Megan Carlson, who raised their season’s record to a team leading 14-5 with an 8-4 victory in the third flight.

Morningside 5, Doane 3

Singles
Katie Hanson (M) def. Kendra Ritter, 6-3, 6-1.
Jeannine Stocker (M) def. Torey Kogel, 6-2, 6-2.
Audri Swisher (M) def. Jade Patterson, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Amanda Przymus (M) def. Lani Brown, 6-1, 6-1.
Allison Pfeifer (D) def. Kathryn Jones, 6-3, 6-1.
Megan Solberg (M) and Kayla Barnesberger (D) did not finish.

Doubles
Ritter-Kogel (D) def. Hanson-Swisher, 8-6.
Patterson-Pfeifer (D) def. Stocker-Pryzmus, 8-6.
Jones-Megan Carlson (M) def. Brown-Cheyanna Kempel, 8-4.