The Webster University women's tennis team became the first squad in program history to win an NCAA III Championships match with its 5-0 win over Hanover College (IN), at the Sewanee (TN) Regional on May 7.  The team also becomes the first non-baseball team to win an NCAA III event since the 2009 Webster softball team.  After taking a 3-0 lead by sweeping doubles, the Gorloks clinched when Jesse Steffens-Willis' singles opponent retired, giving Webster its fifth point.

The win was the Gorloks' 15th, giving the team the second highest win total in a single season.  Webster improved to 15-4 with the victory.  Hanover, winner of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, finished its season 13-3.

Mariss Lewis (SR. Owasso, OK/Owasso HS) and Kaylen Kress (JR, Bartlett, IL/Bartlett HS) won at #1 doubles, 8-3, and are now 14-6 as a tandem on the season.  Monica Behrle (FR, Atlanta, GA/East Paulding HS) and Steffens-Willis (FR, St. Louis, MO/Rockwood Summit HS) won 8-1 at #2, improving to 12-2 as a team on the season.

Stephanie Lass (FR, Lake Villa, IL/Lakes Community HS) and Chelsea Foster (SO, St. Louis, MO/McCluer North HS) completed the doubles sweep with an 8-5 win at #3. 

Steffens-Willis won her first set at #4, 6-3, and her opponent retired, putting Webster up 4-0.  Behrle won in straight sets at #1 singles, 6-1, 6-0, and clinched the victory with the fifth point.  She improved to 21-1 on the year, with the 21 wins a single season record for Webster women's tennis, and it was Behrle's 15th straight singles win..

Lewis (6-0), Kress (6-1), Lass (6-0), all had won their first sets, and Foster was winning, 4-3, with all of those matches going into the books as 'unfinished'.

Webster advances to the Regional semi-finals on May 8, at 2:00 p.m., with the win.  They will face the #1 regional seed and #2 nationally ranked Emory University, who had a bye in the first round.  The Eagles are 16-3 overall and were champions of the University Athletic Association.  Emory is making its 31st straight appearance in the NCAAs.

Live stats for the Webster/Emory match can be seen HERE.

The full results for the Webster/Hanover match:

Webster University 5, Hanover 0

Singles competition
1. Monica Behrle (WUWT) def. Alana Feeley (HANWT) 6-1, 6-0
2. Kelsey Jones (HANWT) vs. Marissa Lewis (WUWT) 0-6, unfinished
3. Kirby Lantz (HANWT) vs. Kaylen Kress (WUWT) 1-6, unfinished
4. J. Steffens-Willis (WUWT) def. Emily Miller (HANWT) 6-3, retired
5. Brooke Glahn (HANWT) vs. Stephanie Lass (WUWT) 0-6, unfinished
6. Shelby WIlliamson (HANWT) vs. Chelsea Foster (WUWT) 3-4, unfinished

Doubles competition
1. Marissa Lewis/Kaylen Kress (WUWT) def. Alana Feeley/Kelsey Jones (HANWT) 8-3
2. Monica Behrle/J. Steffens-Willis (WUWT) def. Brooke Glahn/Emily Miller (HANWT) 8-1
3. Stephanie Lass/Chelsea Foster (WUWT) def. Kirby Lantz/Shelby WIlliamson (HANWT) 8-5