BEAUMONT, Texas  – After posting a come-from-behind victory in the Nicholls State University women's tennis team's biggest win earlier this season, junior Isla Brock came through once again as she battled back from a first-set loss to take the No. 6 court to clinch the No. 1 seed Colonels' 4-3 victory over No. 4 seed McNeese State in the Southland Conference Tournament semifinals on Saturday afternoon at the Beaumont Municipal Tennis Center.
 
The win puts Nicholls (20-4) into the championship match for the first time since 1995, when the Colonels came away with the program's only Southland Tournament title. The Colonels will take on No. 3 seed Northwestern State, which defeated No. 7 New Orleans on Saturday, 4-2, at 11 a.m. for the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
 
Against McNeese, the Colonels continued their strong doubles play by putting away the Cowgirls (13-8) on the No. 2 and 1 courts. Marie Aubert and Milou Pietersz defeated Hannah Brett / Julia Kral, 8-2, on the No. 2 court, while Stephanie Barnett and Klara Skopac clinched the point with an 8-5 victory over Klaudia Gawlik / Anastasija Trubich at No. 1.
 
The Colonels looked well on their way to earning their second sweep in as many days as Aubert and Barnett quickly put away their opponents with straight-set victories in singles action. Aubert gave Nicholls a 2-0 lead with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Brett at No. 3 and Barnett continued her Southland undefeated run at No. 1 with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Gawlik.
 
However, the Cowgirls answered with a pair of straight-set victories as Pietersz fell to Sarah Jurakova at No. 4, 6-2, 6-3, and Kateryna Nakonechna came up short against Vivien Borbely at No. 5, 7-5, 6-4.
 
On the No. 2 court, Skopac dropped the first set against Kral, 7-5, but was able to even the match with a 6-4 victory. In the third set, Kral evened up the team score at 3-all with a 6-3 victory.
 
The match came down to the No. 6 court, where Brock looked to stay undefeated in conference play. Earlier this season, Brock dropped the first set against co-champion Stephen F. Austin, and she would fight back to win the next two sets to give Nicholls a 4-3 win. The same situation surfaced once again as she fell 6-3 in the opening set against Trubich, but just like in the win over SFA, Brock clinched the team win by earning 7-5 victories in the second and third sets.
 
Nicholls and Northwestern State (15-8) squared off on April 10 in Natchitoches, with the Colonels defeating the Lady Demons, 4-0. The match was one of the Colonels' best performances of the season as they won all nine sets that were completed.
 
For live updates of Sunday's title match, be sure to follow the Colonels on twitter @Nicholls_WTEN.
 
Nicholls 4, McNeese 3
 
Singles
1. Stephanie Barnett (NICH) def. Klaudia Gawlik (MCN) 6-3, 6-3
2. Julia Kral (MCN) def. Klara Skopac (NICH) 7-5, 4-6, 6-2
3. Marie Aubert (NICH) def. Hannah Brett (MCN) 6-0, 6-2
4. Sarah Jurakova (MCN) def. Milou Pietersz (NICH) 6-2, 6-3
5. Vivien Borbely (MCN) def. Kateryna Nakonechna (NICH) 7-5, 6-4
6. Isla Brock (NICH) def. Anastasija Trubich (MCN) 3-6, 7-5, 7-5
 
Doubles
1. Stephanie Barnett/Klara Skopac (NICH) def. Klaudia Gawlik/Anastasija Trubich (MCN) 8-5
2. Marie Aubert/Milou Pietersz (NICH) def. Hannah Brett/Julia Kral (MCN) 8-2
3. Kateryna Nakonechna/Isla Brock (NICH) vs. Sarah Jurakova/Vivien Borbely (MCN) 4-6, unfinished
 
Match Notes:
McNeese 13-8
Nicholls 20-4
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (3,1,4,5,2,6)
Nicholls - #1 Seed
McNeese State - #4
2015 Southland Conference Championship Semifinals
Nicholls advances to the 2015 SLC Championship Match
 
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