Lady Flames Seek Two Wins This Weekend to Claim First ASUN Title
4/20/2023 10:53:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Live Video: No. 5 Seed Liberty at No. 1 Seed North Florida (ESPN+)
Live Video: Saturday's ASUN Title Match
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The Liberty Lady Flames head to Jacksonville, Fla. for the 2023 ASUN Championship semifinals on Friday at 2:30 p.m. After two wins last weekend over Bellarmine (4-0 final) and Austin Peay (4-3 final), No. 5 seed Liberty (17-8) will face No. 1 seed and tournament host North Florida (16-6) for the right to advance to the ASUN Championship final. Both rounds will be held at the UNF Tennis Complex.
Liberty is seeking its first-ever ASUN title in what is its last season to do so before moving to Conference USA next year. The Lady Flames advanced all the way to the ASUN final last season for the first time in program history before ultimately falling 4-2 to Stetson.
If Liberty is able to move on, the Lady Flames would face the winner of No. 2 seed FGCU (16-6) and No. 3 seed Stetson (17-7), who will meet in the other semifinal at 5 p.m., Friday evening.
2023 ASUN Women's Tennis Championship | UNF Tennis Complex | Jacksonville, Fla.
Friday – Semifinals
No. 5 seed Liberty (17-8) at No. 1 seed North Florida (16-6), 2:30 p.m., ESPN+
No. 2 seed FGCU (16-6) vs. No. 3 seed Stetson (17-7), 5 p.m. ESPN+
Saturday – Final
Winner of semifinal matches, 1 p.m., ESPN+
History in ASUN Championship
Liberty is making its fourth appearance in the ASUN Women's Tennis Championship. The Lady Flames are 5-3 overall in the ASUN Tournament, including two victories last weekend. Liberty bested No. 12 seed Bellarmine 4-0 in the first round, followed by a dramatic 4-3 win over host No. 4 seed Austin Peay. Both matches were contested at the Governors Tennis Courts in Clarksville, Tenn.
In 2022, Liberty defeated Central Arkansas and FGCU before falling 4-2 to Stetson in the final. Liberty's Maria Juliana Parra Romero earned the honor of ASUN Championship All-Tournament team, the first in program history. Parra Romero went 4-2 overall in the tournament with a 3-0 record in singles record while playing all her matches in the No. 1 position.
The Lady Flames swept Bellarmine 4-0 in the first round in 2021 before falling to FGCU 4-3 in the quarterfinals. The 2020 ASUN Championship was not contested due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Liberty dropped its first round match to FGCU 4-3 in 2019.
Liberty was tabbed to finish third in this year's preseason coaches poll. This is the first time the Lady Flames are the No. 5 seed for the ASUN Tournament.
Series History vs. Remaining Teams
Liberty vs. North Florida: Tied 1-1
Last Meeting: Liberty and UNF last met a season ago (April, 14, 2022), with the Ospreys earning a 6-1 victory in Lynchburg. The only other meeting between the two schools came on April 6, 2019, with Liberty edging UNF 4-3 at home.
Liberty vs. FGCU: FGCU leads 6-1
Last Meeting: Liberty fell in a close match, 4-3, to FGCU on April 8 in what was the regular season finale in Fort Myers, Fla. The Lady Flames knocked the top-seeded Eagles out of last year's ASUN Tournament (April 23, 2022). Liberty bested FGCU 4-0 in that ASUN semifinal match.
Liberty vs. Stetson: Tied 2-2
Last Meeting: Liberty knocked off the defending ASUN champion Hatters 4-3, April 6 at the Mandy Stoll Tennis Center in DeLand, Fla.
Lady Flames News and Notes
• Liberty seeks its first-ever ASUN title and first conference crown in program history.
• The Lady Flames featured a program-record four ASUN All-Conference team honorees, led by first team selection Maria Juliana Parra Romero. Esther Lovato and Marina Davtyan each earned ASUN All-Conference second team accolades, while Tiffany Nguyen was tabbed to the All-ASUN third team.
• The initial doubles point has been critical for the Lady Flames this spring. Liberty has leaned on the performances of doubles pairs Parra Romero and Nguyen (No. 1) and Lovato and Davtyan (No. 3).
• The No. 1 doubles duo for Liberty at one point earned a No. 90 national ranking and is 8-1 playing together, including six straight wins. The Lady Flames' No. 3 pair has been just as strong, compiling a 12-2 record including a 9-1 record in the last 10 appearances.
• Sophomore Parra Romero is seeking her second straight All-Tournament team award. The sophomore has put together a 16-3 record this season and is currently on a six-match win streak. Parra Romero has played all her matches in the No. 1 position.
• After a clutch three-set victory on Sunday against Austin Peay to give Liberty the 4-3 win, Davtyan (14-6) will likely slot in the No. 2 position and will be relied on heavily this weekend. Davtyan has been solid of late with seven wins in her last 10 matchups.
• The new program leader for all-time wins with 96, Lovato (18-4) will likely be put in the No. 3 singles matchup. Lovato has also won seven of her last 10 outings.
• Nguyen (15-6) has been a rock in the middle of Liberty's lineup, achieving a combined 13-4 record between the No. 4 and 5 positions.
• Liberty sports a combined 49-12 record between the No. 1, No. 3 and No. 4 singles positions.
