EDMOND, Okla. – No. 8 Hawai'i Pacific University did it again on Saturday as they went the distance to edge No. 3 Columbus State (Ga.) 4-3 in the semifinals of the ITA Division II National Indoor Team Championship at the Oak Tree Country Club Tennis Center.
 
The Sharks (7-2) came up again with the victory after putting themselves behind the 8-ball to the Cougars (6-2) by dropping the doubles point and winning four singles positions.
 
The match was clinched at the No. 6 singles spot as Nicole Ballach fought off CSU's Amanda Citre to win a second set extended tiebreaker and roll in the third to claim the match for the Sharks 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-3.
 
HPU stunned the Cougars by taking the top three singles positions as Elodie Busson won at No. 1 against Luise Sachs 6-3, 6-2, Marleen Tilgner claimed No. 2 with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph against Candice Paya, and Mihoki Miyahara collected No. 3 beating Beatriz Lopen 6-3, 6-4.
 
The Cougars picked up points at No. 4 with Neila Trklja downing Heloise Le Normand 6-3, 6-1, and Kristina Baran taking No. 5 over Sara Ikioka 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
 
Columbus State won the doubles point to start the match with Sachs/Citre winning at No. 3 against Ballach/Ikioka 6-4, then winning the tiebreaker at No. 2 as Lopez/Paya edged LeNormand/Busson 7-6 (7-4). The No. 1 set between HPU's Tilgner/Miyahara and CSU's Baran/Trklja was tied at 6-6 when the doubles point was clinched by the Cougars.
 
The Sharks advance to the championship match of the inaugural ITA Division II National Indoor Team Championship to face top-ranked Barry (Fla.), the defending NCAA Division II Champion. Barry defeated No. 5 Nova Southeastern 4-2 on Saturday to set up the title match. First serve is slated for 10:30 a.m. HST (2:30 p.m. CST) at Oak Tree.