The 6th ranked Barton Community College women's tennis team finished in 8th place at the 2023 NJCAA Division I National Tennis Championships held at the Joann Medlock Murphy Tennis Center in Tyler, Texas.

In four days of competition the Cougars were a combined 12-10 on the court to finish in the top ten for the third straight season. Barton accumulated 24 points for the 8th placing, just three points from 5th place with a four point gap to ninth place.

Hillsborough Community College was two-time runner-up before breaking through this year for the program's second title after having won the 2008 championship. Barton's fellow Region VI members Cowley College was three points back at 43 points for the runner-up position while Seward County Community College placed 6th with 26 points of the twenty-nine team field.

The conclusion capped one of the best overall seasons under Head Coach Lyle Stickney as the Cougars went 11-1 in dual matches, placing second amongst the tough KJCCC battles with Cowley and Seward County, and finished third in the Region VI Tournament.

The Cougars won eight of their first nine first matches on the national court as the next round was not as kind resulting in seven eliminations.

Seeded 4th in the No. 2 singles draw, Luciana Braga held to the forecasted flight finishes in reaching the national semifinals by going 2-1 to close out her freshman campaign. Receiving a first round bye, the nation's 11th ranked player started slow in her next two matches but prevailed in three sets over ranked opponents. Down 6-3 in the 2nd Round to 31st ranked Rocio Brisa of St. Petersburg College, Braga quickly evened the match with a 6-0 blanking before advancing with a 6-4 third set win. Matched against the 5th seeded and 13th ranked Zoi Spryrou of host Tyler in the Quarterfinals, Braga again had to fight back from a 6-2 loss to endure a tough 6-4 and 7-1 tiebreak win to reach the final four competitors.

In the semifinals Braga would meet a familiar opponent in fellow Region VI member 13th ranked Carol Mora of Seward County for the third time of the year with the series matchup bragging rights on the line in the season's most important matchup. Braga took the first matchup in straight sets on Mora's home court back in March with Mora returning the favor with a 6-4 third set victory in late April's Region VI Tournament on Braga's home court. Tuesday in Texas was another grueling tangle between the pair with the top seeded Mora prevailing 6-4, 7-5 to the Championship match in eventually losing in three sets to another region member in 2nd seeded and 5th ranked Arina Babenko of Cowley.

Clara Penido was seeded 8th in the No. 1 flight but the nation's 9th ranked player was stunned 6-4 in the third set to Eastern Arizona's Laura Coulome after recovering from a 6-2 loss with a 6-0 blanking to force the deciding set. Penido bounced back on the consolation side, outscoring her next three opponents 24-6 to reach the consolation finals before bowing out on Wednesday morning's 8:00 a.m. match to 2nd seeded and 13th ranked Nicole Dufour of Abraham Baldwin College.

Barton went 1-1 in their remaining four singles draws with three of those ending in the quarterfinal round to seeded opponents.

Receiving a bye in the No. 3 flight, 25th ranked and 2nd seeded Tshegofatso Tsiang won her first match in a straight set 6-0 blanking style over the 2023 Jovana Vasic Spirit of Competition Award winner Bayley Askin of Mississippi Gulf Coast. Tsiang then battled 7th seeded and 28th ranked Kanna Kobayakawa of St. Petersburg College in the Quarterfinals, dropping the first set 7-5, pulling out a 10-8 second set tiebreak win but going down in the third by a 6-1 score.

In the No. 5 flight, Carmen Lyons advanced to the second round on a straight set 6-0, 6-2 win over Cali Grace Davis of Meridian Community College before having the season end to 2nd seeded 34th ranked Camilla Mitolo of Hillsborough 6-1, 6-3.

Ana Vasilis opened her first national experience with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Alexis Dunlap of State College of Florida then was handed a 6-1, 6-2 season ending loss to 4th seeded Ai Katsura of St. Petersburg College.

Like Tsiang, Azul Barrios was also dealt a seeding upset in her No. 4 flight. Winning her first match in a convincing 6-0, 6-2 victory over Central Alabama's Emma Grace Mcelwain, the 7th seed had her sophomore year come to a close in the second round 6-4, 6-3 to Lucia Lucas Martinez of Eastern Florida State College.

Each doubles action ended in 1-1 records on season ending losses coming to ranked opponents.

Unseeded and ranked 9th in the No. 1 doubles flight, Penido and Tsiang chalked up straight set 6-2 wins before losing 6-3, 7-5 to the 8th seed and 8th ranked Ana Julissa De Mata and Isabella Quintero of Meridian Community College.

Seeded 6th in the No. 2 doubles draw, Braga and Barrios won their first match 6-1, 6-4 before dropping a twin 6-2 loss to Region VI foe Cowley's 3rd seed and 11th ranked tandem of Arina Babenko and Ntokozo Zungu.

Receiving a first round bye, Lyons and Vasilis began their trek with a dominating 6-1, 6-0 performance but in the quarterfinals fell 6-3, 6-2 to the nation's 20th ranked Paula Cabrer and Rocio Martinez of Hillsborough.

Complete NJCAA Division I National Tennis Championship information

BARTON RESULTS

Singles
No. 1 Singles: #9 Clara Penido (8th Seeded)
1st Round - Lost to Laura Coulome (Eastern Arizona College) - 6-2, 0-6, 6-4
Consolation Round 2 – Defeated Kim Coots (Wallace State) - 8-1
Consolation Quarterfinals - Defeated Izabella Slezakova (Moraine Valley) - 8-0
Consolation Semifinals – defeated Maud Tsaura (East Central CC) - 8-5
Consolation Finals – Lost to 2nd Seed #3 Nicole Dufour (Abraham Baldwin College) - Walkover

No. 2 Singles: #11 Luciana Braga (4th Seeded)
1st Round – Bye
2nd Round – Defeated #31 Rocio Brisa (St. Petersburg College) – 3-6, 6-0, 6-4
Quarterfinals – Defeated 5th Seeded #13 Zoi Spryrou (Tyler JC) – 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(1)
Semifinals – Lost to Top Seed #12 Carol Mora (Seward County CC) – 6-4, 7-5

No. 3 Singles: #25 Tshegofatso Tsiang (2nd Seeded)
1st Round – Bye
2nd Round – Defeated Bayley Askin (Mississippi Gulf Coast CC) – 6-0, 6-0
Quarterfinals – Lost to 7th Seeded #28 Kanna Kobayakawa (St. Petersburg College) – 7-5, 6-7(8), 6-1

No. 4 Singles: Azul Barrios (7th Seeded)
1st Round – Defeated Emma Grace Mcelwain (Central Alabama) – 6-0, 6-2
2nd Round – Lost to Lucia Lucas Martinez (Eastern Florida State College) – 6-4, 6-3

No. 5 Singles: Carmen Lyons
1st Round – Defeated Cali Grace Davis (Meridian CC) – 6-0,6-2
2nd Round – Lost to 2nd Seeded #34 Camilla Mitolo (Hillsborough CC) – 6-1, 6-3

No. 6 Singles: Ana Vasilis
1st Round – Bye
2nd Round – Defeated Alexis Dunlap (State College of Florida) – 6-3, 7-5
Quarterfinals – Lost to 4th Seeded Ai Katsura (St. Petersburg College) – 6-1, 6-2

Doubles
No. 1 Doubles: #9 Clara Penido / Tshegofatso Tsiang
1st Round – Defeated Mercedes Medart / Valeria Vargas Gilli (Mercer County CC) – 6-2, 6-2
2nd Round – Lost to 8th seed #8 Ana Julissa De Mata / Isabella Quintero (Meridian CC) – 6-3, 7-5

No. 2 Doubles: Luciana Braga / Azul Barrios (6th Seeded)
1st Round – Bye
2nd Round – Defeated Alison Azarak / Justine Azarak (Lewis & Clark CC) – 6-1, 6-4
Quarterfinals – Lost to 3rd Seed #11 Arina Babenko / Ntokozo Zungu (Cowley College) – 6-2, 6-2

No. 3 Doubles: Carmen Lyons / Ana Vasilis
1st Round – Bye
2nd Round – Defeated Jefflyn Deloach / Karsen Kelley (Central Alabama) – 6-1, 6-0
Quarterfinals – Lost to #20 Paula Cabrer / Rocio Martinez (Hillsborough CC) – 6-3, 6-2