ARLINGTON, Texas (April 19, 2023) – History will be made for No.7-seed Lubbock Christian University Thursday at 3 p.m. as they participate in their Lone Star Conference Championship dual, facing No.3-seed Midwestern State in the quarterfinals at Arlington Tennis Center.
The Lady Chaps have had a successful 2022-23 season, as they are 13-10 this season (in duals). They head to the LSC Championships as the No.7-seed after a 4-6 LSC dual record.
They face a No.32 Mustangs squad that is 17-6 this season, with an 8-2 mark in LSC dual action. MSU, then ranked No.33, defeated LCU 6-1 Mar. 28 in Lubbock. They feature the No.33 nationally ranked doubles team of Sydney Williams and Amelia Lawson (First Team All-LSC), who edged out LCU's doubles tandem of
Michelle Trochez and
Axelle Jacquemin 7-5. Lawson (scheduled for No.1-singles) and Alice Di Matteo (No.2-singles) also received All-LSC in singles.
Anastasiia Khrustaleva is an All-LSC selection set for No.1-singles to face Lawson (Lawson won the prior meeting). The senior from Moscow, Russia is 11-10 overall in singles matches this season. She is 7-8 in duals and each are in No.1-singles matches. Khrustaleva went 2-5 in LSC duals singles matches. She is 2-3 against nationally ranked singles competitors and has LCU's only singles wins against ranked opponents. In doubles play, she is 14-8 in this season and is 5-4 in LSC duals doubles matches when teamed up with
Anastasiia Opolska, who she is slated to team-up with in No.2-doubles.
LCU's No.1-doubles team will consist of All-LSC (doubles) selections Trochez (Tomball, Texas) and Jacquemin (Sint-Truiden, Belgium), who have been a doubles tandem for 18 matches this season for LCU and are 9-9 together on the season (three of the losses against nationally ranked programs). They went 4-6 in LSC duals doubles this season. Trochez, who is also LCU's singles wins leader this season (14 wins) and will serve the No.2-sinlges spot Thursday (5-5 this season in No.2 singles), claims a spot on the LSC Women's Tennis Sportsmanship Team, which exemplifies outstanding sportsmanship, character and ethical conduct while displaying the true spirit of competition and college tennis.
Completing the LCU lineup Thursday in doubles play will be the No.3-doubles team of
Oshini Herath and Emily Bo Meyer, who are 3-2 together this season (2-2 in LSC duals). Joining Khrustaleva and Trochez on the LCU singles lineup will be Jacquemin (No.3-singles), Meyer (No.4-singles), Herath (No.5-singles) and
Maya Adler (No.6-singles).
The winner of Thursday's dual will move to the semifinals Friday (1 p.m.), where they will face the winner of the quarterfinals matchup between No.3 St. Mary's and No.6 Dallas Baptist.
