(Story courtesy of Trinity University Sports Information)
MASON, Ohio - Trinity University sophomore Liza Southwick and first-year player Marie Lutz were eliminated from the NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Doubles Championship on Thursday.
Southwick and Lutz fell 6-2, 6-2 to the second-seeded Washington and Lee (VA) University team of Patricia Kirkland and Sonja Meighan in the first round of the 16-draw event. The singles and doubles tournaments are being held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.
The Tiger duo, though, had an excellent season. Southwick and Lutz won the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional Doubles Championship last September at the Butch Newman Tennis Center on the Trinity campus. In October, the Trinity tandem competed in the USTA/ITA National Small College Championships at Sumter, South Carolina, where they finished in fifth place.
Trinity went on to win a fourth consecutive Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship, and the 19th overall. Southwick and Lutz were each elected to the All-SCAC Team. The Tigers then defeated the University of Texas-Tyler in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs at Claremont, California. Host Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges beat Trinity in the second round of the tournament. Southwick and Lutz completed the campaign with a 10-10 record at No. 1 doubles.
The Tigers are led by first-year Head Coach Gretchen Rush, who guided Trinity to an 11-9 dual-match record. Against Division III competitors, the Tigers amassed a 10-3 record.
