Jensen, Marshall make history on Day 1 of ITA Cup

ROME, Ga. — The Morningside women's tennis team made history Thursday at the ITA Cup in the NAIA bracket.

Line Jensen became the first women's tennis player in both Morningside and Great Plains Athletic Conference history to win a singles match at the national tournament. She defeated Alessia Piccoliori of the Savannah College of Art and Design, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3.

"She was much more confident than she was last year," head tennis coach Alex Struck said. "She raised her game to another level in the third set, and that's the most proud I've ever been of Line since she's been to Morningside. She didn't force the issue." 

Jensen advances to Friday's quarterfinals, where she will face Shalimar Talbi of SCAD-Atlanta at 8 a.m. Sioux City time. 

Jensen also made history later in the day alongside Brooke Marshall. The duo won Morningside's first women's doubles match at the ITA Cup, defeating a William Carey pairing 6-4, 3-6, 12-10. They advance to a 2 p.m. Friday quarterfinal match. The two Mustangs led by as many as five points in the tiebreaker, and won the final two points to clinch the match. 

"Brooke had a great second serve, and that's the best volley Line has ever had," Struck said. "I could tell their faith didn't waver with each other. They keep saying what they want their next goal to be, and they just deliver." 

On the men's side, Alexis Diaz fell 6-0, 6-1, to Ching Wah Wai of Holy Cross College in singles play. In doubles, Diaz and Marcos Menendez Hervella lost to Southeastern, 6-3, 6-0. According to Struck, there were five deuce points during the singles match, and Diaz played much more competitive than the score indicated.