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THIBODAUX, La. – Sophomore Stephanie Barnett came away with a straight-set victory in the battle of the Southland Conference's undefeated No. 1 players to clinch the Nicholls State University women's tennis team's first regular season title in 20 years as the Colonels locked up the top seed in the conference tournament with a 6-1 victory over Southeastern Louisiana on Sunday afternoon at the Colonel Tennis Complex.
 
The Colonels cruised to the victory over the Lady Lions (11-9, 3-8 SLC), winning both completed doubles matches before going on to win the first five singles matches in straight sets. With the win, Nicholls finished the regular season with an 18-4 overall record and a 10-1 mark in conference, earning their first team title since 1995. Stephen F. Austin also claimed a share of the title after winning on Sunday against Lamar to finish 10-1 in the Southland.  The Colonels won the head-to-head tiebreaker for the No. 1 seed in the Southland Tournament by defeating SFA, 4-3, last weekend on the road.
 
Playing in her final match at home, Kateryna Nakonechna helped set the tone early in doubles as she teamed up with Isla Brock for an 8-1 victory on the No. 3 court. Shortly after, Marie Aubert, also making her Thibodaux finale, and Milou Pietersz clinched the point with an 8-5 win on the No. 2 court. Barnett and Klara Skopac held a slim 6-5 lead at No. 1 before play was suspended.
 
In singles, only the No. 1 through 4 courts started play, with 5 and 6 scheduled to begin after the conclusion of the first two completed matches. The Colonels started out singles by winning the first sets in all four matches, highlighted by a shutout by Aubert on the No. 3 court. Aubert then showed why she will leave Nicholls as one of the program's all-time greats as she shut out Margaux Kaltenbacher in the second set as well to give the Colonels a 2-0 lead. The win improved Aubert's all-time singles record to an impressive 58 wins versus 23 losses.
 
On the No. 2 court, Skopac took her first set, 6-3, over Lucia Bustamente before closing out the match with a 6-1 victory. Skopac's win put Nicholls one point away from clinching the team victory.
 
With the anticipation of the Colonels winning the conference title, more spectators were in attendance than usual and most of them hung around the No. 1 court to watch the Southland's top two singles players battle it out. Barnett and Southeastern's Renee Villarreal both entered the match with 10-0 records in conference this season, and neither would disappoint.
 
Barnett won the first game against Villarreal and went on to capture the first set, 6-2. In the second set, she found herself trailing midway through at 3-2 before turning it on. The Melbourne, Australia native dominated the rest of the way, going on to clinch the team victory with a 6-4 win in the second set.
 
With the match already decided, the teams elected to finish out singles play. Pietersz pushed the score to 5-0 with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Madina Vorotnikova on the No. 4 court. Brock also kept her undefeated conference record intact with an impressive 6-0, 6-1 win over Natalie Duran at No. 6. The No. 5 Southland singles champion last season, Brock followed up her 17-2 sophomore campaign with an even better singles record at 15-1.
 
In the final match of the day, Nakonechna let a first-set lead slip by as Dany Raygadas went on to win at No. 5, 6-3. Raygadas then prevented the shutout by winning the second set, 6-3.
 
The Colonels will head into the Southland Conference Tournament later this week as the top overall seed. Play begins Friday in Beaumont, Texas with the opponent yet to be decided. The field will be set after the two remaining Southland matches to be played on Monday are completed.
 
Nicholls 6, Southeastern Louisiana 1
 
Singles
1. Stephanie Barnett (NICH) def. Renee Villarreal (SLU) 6-2, 6-4
2. Klara Skopac (NICH) def. Lucia Bustamante (SLU) 6-3, 6-1
3. Marie Aubert (NICH) def. Margaux Kaltenbacher (SLU) 6-0, 6-0
4. Milou Pietersz (NICH) def. Madina Vorotnikova (SLU) 6-3, 6-2
5. Dany Raygadas (SLU) def. Kateryna Nakonechna (NICH) 6-4, 6-3
6. Isla Brock (NICH) def. Natalie Duran (SLU) 6-0, 6-1
 
Doubles
1. Stephanie Barnett/Klara Skopac (NICH) vs. Lucia Bustamante/Renee Villarreal (SLU) 6-5, unfinished
2. Marie Aubert/Milou Pietersz (NICH) def. Margaux Kaltenbacher/Dany Raygadas (SLU) 8-5
3. Isla Brock/Kateryna Nakonechna (NICH) def. Natalie Duran/Madina Vorotnikova (SLU) 8-1
 
Match Notes:
 
Southeastern Louisiana 11-9, 3-8 SLC
Nicholls 18-4, 10-1 SLC
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (3,2,1,4,6,5)
 
Nicholls Wins Southland Conference Regular Season Title (Co-Champs with SFA)
Colonels Clinch No. 1 Seed in Southland Tournament
 
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