Northwest Wayne News

The Wayne State University women's tennis team achieved a significant victory on Sunday, securing the GLIAC Tournament Championship with a 4-0 win over Grand Valley State. The match took place at the Greater Midland Tennis Center in Midland, Michigan.

Wayne State completed an undefeated season within the conference, having previously gone 7-0 to win the GLIAC Regular-Season Championship. This success positioned them as the top seed for the tournament. They faced off against third-seeded Grand Valley State, who had defeated Ferris State 4-0 in the semifinals.

This marks Wayne State's third consecutive GLIAC Tournament Championship win, following victories in 2022 and 2023. With this triumph, they secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the third year in a row.

In doubles play, Wayne State turned around their previous day's performance by winning two of three matches. Malak Arafat and Martyna Szpakowska claimed a 6-1 victory at second flight doubles. Meanwhile, Taylor Barrett and Neus Ramos from GVSU defeated Anais Ruyssen and Marta Komar by the same score at No. 1 position. The decisive match was won by Dea Gorgidze and Justine Beaulieu with a tiebreaker score of 7-6 (7-5).

In singles competition, Wayne State completed their shutout with wins in all concluded matches. Anais Ruyssen rebounded from her previous loss to defeat Vasileia Griva with scores of 6-2 and 6-3 at first flight singles. Malak Arafat continued her strong performance with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Barrett at No. 2 position. Martyna Szpakowska secured the championship with her win against Ramos at No. 4 spot.

The remaining matches were left unfinished as Wayne State reached four points needed for victory.

Looking ahead, Wayne State will await the NCAA Selection Show on Monday, May 6th to determine if they will host a regional event for a second consecutive year. The NCAA Midwest Regionals are set for May 10th and May 11th at yet-to-be-determined locations.