by Alan Babbitt

The Hope College women's tennis team enjoyed another successful start to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

The Flying Dutch downed Colonial States Athletic Conference champion Cairn University (Pa.), 5-0, on Thursday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

No.4-ranked Hope (19-7) won 48 of 51 points to earn a regional semifinal match against No. 11-ranked and regional host Carnegie Mellon University on Friday, May 13, at 9 a.m.

The Hope-Carnegie winner moves on to the regional final on Saturday, May 14.

Photo by Andrea James/Carnegie Mellon University

Against Cairn (20-2), the MIAA champion Flying Dutch seized control early by sweeping the three doubles matches.

At No. 3 doubles, sophomore Annika Weeber (Rockford, Michigan / Grand Rapids Christian) paired with junior Delanie Riebschleger (Rockford, MIchigan / Rockford) for an 8-0 victory against Rachel Campbell-Robertson and Daphne Neal.

At No. 2 doubles, senior Saydee Johns (Holland, Michigan / Holland) and junior Taylor Truman (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) recorded an 8-1 victory against Ersy Neal and Sarah Jackson.

At No. 1 doubles, senior Sydney Jackson (Fort Wayne, Indiana / Carroll) and freshman Sullivan Moran (Birmingham, Michigan / Wylie E. Groves) teamed for an 8-2 victory against Paige Kemper and Brianna Miller.

Jackson and Weeber closed out the match with singles wins.

At No. 1 singles, Jackson topped Kemper, 6-0, 6-0.

At No. 3 singles, Weeber beat Neal, 6-0, 6-0. 

Hope will compete in the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the sixth consecutive postseason appearance.