NWCC women's and men's tennis both lose tough matches to Copiah-LIncoln

Northwest women's and men's tennis both clench the fourth seed in the Region 23 playoffs.

WESSON - In the last match of the regular season, #19 Northwest Mississippi Community College women's tennis (7-7) lost a 5-4 heartbreaker to #14 Copiah-Lincoln Community College (10-3), while #17 Northwest Mississippi Community College men's tennis (7-7) also suffered a tough 6-3 defeat to #16 Copiah-Lincoln (8-5) at the Co-Lin Tennis Complex on Friday afternoon.

After winning two of the three doubles courts in the women's match, NWCC seemed to be going into the singles portion of the match with momentum on their side. However, the momentum would grind to a halt and only result in two singles wins for the Rangers.

Although the match ended in heartbreak, positives can still be taken. The #3 doubles team of Brooke Kicker and Ava McCain showcased their grit and determination on their way to winning their third match in a row. It was their second consecutive match they won by a 9-7 score.

The men's team finished the doubles portion of the match with only one win. Like with the women's team, the men struggled to gain or maintain momentum as the singles matches progressed, resulting in only two victories for NWCC in singles.

With his third straight set match victory in a row, sophomore Jordan Mitchell proved to be a bright spot for the Rangers. Mitchell continues to be a trusted player on both the doubles court and singles court, providing Northwest with valuable wins and critical leadership.

Postseason for Northwest begins on Thursday, April 9 with the women's NJCAA Region 23 Playoffs. Both the women's and men's tournament will be hosted in Ellisville by top seeded Jones College at the Bobcat Tennis Courts.

Ranger women's tennis has clinched the fourth seed in the playoffs and will play the fifth seed, #16 Hinds Community College, at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday. If NWCC wins, they will play the winner of the #7 Jones College and #23 Meridian Community College match at 10:00 a.m. on Friday. The championship match is at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday with the third place match taking place afterwards at 2:00 p.m.

The men's team has also clinched the fourth seed in the playoffs and will play their first match against the fifth seed Southwest on Thursday, April 16. The Rangers will then move on to play the winner of the #12 Jones and #24 East Central Community College match at 10:00 a.m. on Friday. Like with the women's playoffs, the championship match is at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday with the third place match taking place afterwards at 2:00 p.m.

Both teams are thrilled about the opportunity that lays in front of them.

"I am so excited about this postseason run," Head Coach Ryan Mounce said. "This group is starting to play their best tennis at the right time and we still have a lot to play for."

For updates on the women's and men's tennis teams, visit nwccrangers.com or follow Northwest social media accounts.

Women's Doubles v. Co-Lin (April 3)

Ruri Takeuchi/Georgina Labusch (Co-Lin) def. Claudia Lopez Chaparro/Laura Cámara Blanco (NWCC) 8-1
Ángela Ortiz-Sánchez/Meg Daves (NWCC) def. Ady Locke/Domenica Gruezo (Co-Lin) 8-4
Brooke Kicker/Ava McCain (NWCC) def. Clara Barton Calcote/Allie Grace McNeill (Co-Lin) 9-7

Women's Singles v. Co-Lin (April 3)

Ruri Takeuchi (Co-Lin) def. Ángela Ortiz-Sánchez (NWCC) 6-2, 6-1
Domenica Gruezo (Co-Lin) def. Claudia Lopez Chaparro (NWCC) 6-2, 7-5
Laura Cámara Blanco (NWCC) def. Georgina Labusch (Co-Lin) 6-3, 6-1
Meg Daves (NWCC) def. Ady Locke (Co-Lin) 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-3
Clara Barton Calcote (Co-Lin) def. Brooke Kicker (NWCC) 7-6 (8-6), 6-0
Ella Thompson (Co-Lin) def. Ava McCain (NWCC) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2)

Men's Doubles v. Co-Lin (April 3)

Jake Bucek/Nikoloz Gurgenidze (Co-Lin) def. Carlos Diaz/Luca Morris (NWCC) 8-1
Nick Tozer/Jax Leggett (Co-Lin) def. Jordan Mitchell/Holden Cooke (NWCC) 8-6
Brady Holliman/Miguel Lazaga Robayna (NWCC) def. Lane Breland/Mason Brand (Co-Lin) 8-4

Men's Singles v. Co-Lin (April 3)