EDMOND, Ok. — Drawing the hometown, No. 4-nationally ranked Bronchos in Griffon Tennis' first-ever MIAA Championship appearance as a team seemed inevitable, as Central Oklahoma clinched the conference title with a 4-0 sweep of Missouri Western on Sunday at Edmond Center Court.
The No. 3-seeded Griffons (17-5, 6-2 MIAA) faced a difficult start to doubles play with the team of Mae and Christine Canete — the No. 1 team in the D2 nation. The sisters beat
Anya Chavez and
Isabella MacGibbon, 6-1. The No. 31-nationally ranked doubles team of Adel Abidullina and Tizia Brocks defeated
Esther Güemes and
Claudia Iglesias, 6-3.
The No. 3 doubles match didn't finish, but it was tied 5-5 when UCO (20-1, 8-0 MIAA) clinched the doubles point.
Lathouri and Peralta Criado led their singles counterparts before the No. 1 seed Bronchos top-three singles players all won in two sets. Both of their matches lasted around six to nine minutes longer than the earlier singles bouts despite not finishing.
This is UCO's second sweep of MWSU this season. The Bronchos won, 7-0, on April 9 in St. Joseph, Missouri. With this win, Central Oklahoma earns its second MIAA Championship.
Missouri Western has lost its last 11 matchups vs. UCO dating back to 2013.
Doubles
No. 1: Mae Canete / Christine Canete(UCO)
def.
Anya Chavez /
Isabella MacGibbon (MWSU) 6-1
No. 2: Adel Abidullina / Tizia Brocks(UCO) def.
Esther Güemes /
Claudia Iglesias (MWSU) 6-3
No. 3: Nikki Boyar / Blythe Butrock (UCO) vs.
Ioanna Lathouri /
Anaís Peralta Criado (MWSU) 5-5
(DIDN'T FINISH)
Singles
No. 1: Mae Canete (UCO) def.
Anya Chavez (MWSU) 6-0, 6-3
No. 2: Christine Canete (UCO) def.
Esther Güemes (MWSU) 6-1, 6-0
No. 3: Adel Abidullina (UCO) def.
Isabella MacGibbon (MWSU) 6-1, 6-0
No. 4: Grace Chadick (UCO) vs.
Anaís Peralta Criado (MWSU). 3-6, 2-3
(DIDN'T FINISH)
No. 5: Tizia Brocks (UCO) vs.
Ioanna Lathouri (MWSU) 2-6, 1-2
(DIDN'T FINISH)
No. 6: Blythe Buntrock (UCO) def.
Claudia Iglesias (MWSU) 6-4, 1-0
(DIDN'T FINISH)
NEXT UP
After appearing in their first MIAA Championship, No. 51 Missouri Western awaits their regional fate. They're currently ranked fifth in the Central Region, but they took care of fourth-ranked Washburn on Saturday in the semifinal round, 4-3. The Griffons just missed out on the Central Region tournament in 2020-21 when Northwest Missouri State took the final spot.
