SAINT LOUIS, Mo. – It's been an historical season for the Yellowjacket women's tennis team. Among the highlights in 2023-24, the Yellowjackets have set a program record for wins in a season (16 to date), they defeated Northwestern for the first time in program history, and will raise a banner, courtesy of winning the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) North Division.
 
All of those things set the table for Friday, when the Yellowjackets entered play in the UMAC Tournament as the No. 1 North Seed. Their opponent in the UMAC semifinals was Greenville, the No. 2 seed from the South Division.
 
And after Friday, the Yellowjackets are one step away from making more history, following a 5-2 win over Greenville at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center.
 
The Yellowjackets (16-8) will now face Principia, the No. 1 seed from the UMAC South Division, for the UMAC title and a trip to the NCAA tournament. Principia advanced to the title match by way of a 5-1 win over Northwestern.
 
UWS found itself trailing 2-1 after doubles play, with the only win coming from Daylyn Drew (Negaunee, Mich./Negaunee) and Kate Jonas (Annandale, Minn./Annandale) at No. 3 doubles. Drew and Jonas defeated Greenville's Emily Maltbie and Stephanie Kamp 8-6.
 
Jonas led the charge in singles play, as well, drawing the Yellowjackets even with a straight-sets win over Natalia Higashi at No. 5 singles, 6-3, 6-1. The win by Jonas was the only straight-sets win of the day for the Yellowjackets.
 
Needing three more wins to close out Greenville and advance, the Yellowjackets got the job done with wins by Jessi Kukowski (Duluth, Minn./Hermantown), Claudia Curtis (Lake Mills, Wis./Lake Mills) and Andreina Tejada (Quito, Ecuador/Isaac Newton).
 
Match Notes

• The Yellowjackets have now won six straight matches.
• Drew and Jonas are a perfect 9-0 in doubles action this season.
• Tejada's win at No. 1 singles clinched the win for the Yellowjackets. After losing the opening set 3-6 she came back and won the second and third sets 6-3 and 6-3.
• Kukowski needed three sets to close out Greenville's Maltbie at No. 6 singles. Kukowski took the first set 6-1, dropped the second 4-6 and then got the win with a 6-2 victory in the third set.
• Curtis lost the first set 3-6 before rallying to win he second set 6-1 and the third 6-4 to win at No. 4 singles.
• Jonas is now 13-2 in singles play this season.
• Kukowski's win was her 13th of the season, tying her with Jonas for third on the Yellowjackets.
• Curtis improved to 14-7 with her singles win.

The Yellowjackets and Principia will play for the UMAC Championship Saturday at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center. The first serve is set for 10 a.m.
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