CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.— The Montreat women's tennis team won its second consecutive Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament title on Saturday afternoon, defeating the No. 2-seeded and No. 9-ranked Tennessee Wesleyan University Bulldogs, 4-1. Saturday's title is Montreat's second-ever women's tennis AAC tournament crown and completes the Cavaliers' sweep of the AAC's 2022 regular season and postseason championships.
 
Tennessee Wesleyan (14-3) took an early 1-0 lead on the Cavaliers thanks to 7-5 and 6-1 doubles wins at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots. Stephanie Petit and Carol Reis were the only Montreat duo to win their doubles matchup, sprinting past the No. 22-ranked tandem of Tara Gilich and Natacha Mesa to the tune of a 6-0 victory at No. 1.
 
Despite the early hole, the Cavaliers were not fazed. Montreat defeated Tennessee Wesleyan in Athens, Tenn. on March 31, and the Cavs lost the doubles point on that day before bouncing back to grab a 5-2 team win. Saturday's championship match followed a similar script.
 
No. 10 Valerie Quiceno Ibarguen didn't take long to tie the match at 1-1. Playing in the No. 2 slot, the senior from Bogota, Columbia dropped only a single game en route to a 6-0, 6-1 triumph against No. 35 Josefa Fernandez. Shortly later, No. 2 Stephanie Petit dispatched of Gilich, the No. 26-ranked singles player in the NAIA. Petit's 6-3, 6-1 win pushed the Cavaliers in front, 2-1.
 
Montreat stood just two points away from claiming its second consecutive AAC championship banner, needing to take half of the remaining four singles competitions. Thanks to wins at No. 3 and No. 5, the Cavaliers didn't have to wait much longer.
 
Vaishnavi Venkatesh battled Elisa Piquero in the No. 3 slot, and after two back-and-forth sets, the Montreat freshman dominated the third frame to claim a 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 win. Meanwhile, at No. 5, Nicole Bueno squeezed out two close sets, 7-5, 6-3, to defeat Honoka Tsuji and officially topple the Bulldogs, 4-1.
 
With the 4-1 victory, the Cavaliers extended two program-best marks. Montreat has now won 12 consecutive matches and stands at 15-5 on the year, its winningest season in program history.
 
By winning the AAC Tournament, the Cavs have ensured their spot in next month's 41^st annual NAIA Women's Tennis National Championships. Tournament action is set for May 17-21 at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala.
 
No. 6 Montreat College 4, No. 9 Tennessee Wesleyan University 1
Doubles:

1. Stephanie Petit/Carol Reis (MONT) def. No. 22 Tara Gilich/ Natacha Mesa (TWU) 6-0
2. Josefa Fernandez/Elisa Piquero (TWU) def. Valerie Quiceno Ibarguen/Sofia Hernandez Mera (MONT) 7-5
3. Honoka Tsuji/Chen Chen Liao (TWU) def. Nicole Bueno/Mariam Bayatyan (MONT) 6-1

Singles:

1. No. 2 Stephanie Petit (MONT) def. No. 26 Tara Gilich (TWU) 6-3, 6-1
2. No. 10 Valerie Quiceno Ibarguen (MONT) def. No. 35 Josefa Fernandez (TWU) 6-0, 6-1
3. Vaishnavi Venkatesh (MONT) def. Elisa Piquero (TWU) 6-3, 5-7, 6-1
4. Natacha Mesa (TWU) vs. Carol Reis (MONT) 7-6, 2-6, 1-0 unf.
5. Nicole Bueno (MONT) def. Honoka Tsuji (TWU) 7-5, 6-3
6. Mariam Bayatyan (MONT) vs. Raquel Canadas (TWU) 7-6, 5-3 unf.