In a match that took more than seven hours to complete, the Dominican University women’s tennis team topped the MSOE Raiders 5-3 in the first round of the 2012 Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) Team Tournament.
 
With doubles play beginning around 3:00 PM, the Stars took a 2-1 lead, scoring victories at the one and three doubles flights.  Elizabeth Nelson (Riverside, Ill.) and Kornelia Nowaczyk (Konin, Poland), the NAC Freshman of the Year, topped MSOE’s Carol Cayo and Marly Trier 8-2 at one doubles while the freshman duo of Jennifer LoRusso (Burbank, Ill.) and Rosemary Orchanian (Portage, Mich.) improved to 10-4 at number three doubles with a 9-8 win over the Raiders Marguerite Wellstein and Heather Miller.
 
Play was suspended at the completion of doubles play due to court availability at the Oak Park Tennis and Fitness Centre, resuming over four hours later at 9:00 PM.  In singles play, Rachel Taddy (Cary, Ill.), Marbeya Berner (New Lenox, Ill.) and Monica Budzak (Chicago, Ill.) scored victories at numbers three, five and six singles to seal the best-of-nine victory.
 
The Stars will make their second consecutive appearance in the NAC semifinals, this time drawing the Wisconsin Lutheran College Warriors who captured the one-seed after a three-way tie atop the NAC regular season standings.  The match is scheduled for a 10:00 AM first serve at the Kohler Sports Core in Kohler, Wis.