SURPRISE, Ariz. – No. 2 Hawai'i Pacific University is back to the national semifinals after shutting out No. 23 Missouri-St. Louis 5-0 in quarterfinal play at the 2018 NCAA Division II Women's Tennis Championships at the Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex.
 
The No. 2 Sharks (21-2) return to the Final Four for the third straight year and fifth time in the last six seasons with the win over the No. 23 Tritons (17-6).
 
The Sharks swept doubles play and used the top of lineup to blitz the Tritons in about two-and-a half hours.
 
HPU totally commanded the match with the doubles sweep led by the Sharks No. 2 squad of Barbora Kijasova of Ostrava, Czech Republic, and Lara Meccico of Carolei, Italy, who scored the first win over Salome Bleuler and Kristine Lindal 8-3. The No. 3 doubles unit of Debora Echevveria of Santiago, Chile, and Leticia Gonzalez dos Santos of Sao Jose do Rio Preto, Brazil followed with a 8-5 win against Annie Hays and Janet Auclair.
 
The 10th ranked HPU pair of Lena Lutzeier of Blaustein, Germany and senior Oceane Adam of Le Moule, Guadeloupe, made it a clean sweep at No. 1 with an 8-4 romp over Leticia Lunge and Marina Prediger.
 
The Sharks ended it quickly in singles action, thanks to their top ranked players.
 
No. 1 ranked Lutzeier steamrolled No. 66 Bleuler 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles, before third ranked Meccico wrapped up Prediger 6-0, 6-1 at No. 2 to clinch the match 5-0.
 
HPU was up a set at No. 6 with Kijasova leading Auclair 6-4, 2-1 when play was called. UMSL had leads on the other three courts. Lindal was up on No. 21 Adam 6-2, 1-0 at No. 3 singles, with Hays leading Echeverria 6-4, 1-0 at No. 4 and Lunge ahead of Gonzalez dos Santos 6-3 at No. 5.
 
The No. 2 Sharks advance to semifinal play on Thursday at 10 a.m. HST (1 p.m. MST) against No. 4 West Florida, a 5-2 winner over No. 10 Central Oklahoma on Wednesday. The Sharks beat the Argos 7-2 in Pensacola last month.