Match Results

MASON, Ohio—The Otterbein University women's tennis team sealed the deal with a 5-2 win over Ohio Northern University Saturday to win the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) tournament championship and the automatic bid to the NCAA championships.
 
The tournament championship marked the sixth for the Cardinals, who will be making their first-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament, which is scheduled to get underway Wednesday at various campus sites.

"This mission started at last year's OAC championship tournament," said Otterbein head coach Pat Anderson. "We lost in the finals to Ohio Northern, 5-3, and our players didn't forget it. This isn't just a team of players. They are a team of friends who made it their goal to send their seniors to the NCAA's and, as their coach, I couldn't be prouder."
 
Three-time OAC player of the year Julie Stroyne scored the fifth and decisive point for the Cardinals, winning first singles, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 to give the team its 16th-straight victory. Otterbein also set a new school record for wins in a season, 20, surpassing the former mark of 19 set in 2010.
 
Otterbein led, 2-1, after doubles play. Sammi Kruger and Stroyne scored the first point of the day, winning first doubles, 8-2. Northern followed with an 8-5 win at third doubles to tie the match at 1-1 before Emma Krummel and Adrien Leatherwood put the Cards back up, 2-1, with an 8-5 win at second doubles.
 
The Polar Bears scored the first point in singles play with a win on court five, but the Cardinals scored the next three points to put the match away. Kruger was first, winning second singles, 6-1, 6-3, and Rylie Markle followed with a 6-0, 6-1 victory on court six, setting up Stroyne's match-winning point on court one.
 
Otterbein also won the OAC tournament in 1986, 1995, 1996, 2001 and 2003.