Wheaton, Ill. - The Wheaton women's tennis team defeated North Central College 8-1 on Friday in the semifinals of the 2014 CCIW AQ Tournament. The top-seeded Thunder will face second-seeded Augustana on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in the CCIW AQ Tournament Championship Match on the campus of Elmhurst College. The winner of Saturday's Championship Match will earn the CCIW's automatic bid into the upcoming NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championship that is slated to begin next weekend. PLEASE NOTE: If weather makes conditions at the outdoor courts at Elmhurst College unplayable on Saturday the Tournnament will be moved to Wheaton Sports Center.

The Thunder swept through the doubles matches to open today's action against the Cardinals as Sarah Ray and Julie Buursma earned an 8-0 win at number-one doubles, Lauren Schlabach and Emily Jones picked up a victory at number-two doubles and the number-three doubles team of Erika Nelson and Taylor Parrish were 8-3 victors at number-three doubles.

Ray earned a 6-0, 6-0 victory at number-one singles against North Central's Katie Drone. Buursma picked up a 6-0, 6-1 victory against Miranda Grizzafi of North Central at number-two singles and Lauren Schlabach earned a 6-2, 6-2 win against Kelsey Forkin at number three-singles. Jones was a 6-0, 6-0 victor in her match versus Reynolds Cross at number-four singles and Nelson earned a 6-2, 6-0 victory against Rebecca Ross at number-five singles.

The location and start time of Saturday's CCIW AQ Tournament Championship is TBA depending on weather. The match is slated to be held at either Berens Park in Elmhurst at 2:00 p.m. or Wheaton Sports Center at 3:00 p.m.

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WHEATON COLLEGE 8, NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE 1
Singles competition
1. Ray, Sarah (WHEATON) def. Drone, Katie (NCC) 6-0, 6-0
2. Buursma, Julie (WHEATON) def. Grizaffi, Miranda (NCC) 6-0, 6-1
3. Schlabach, Lauren (WHEATON) def. Forkin, Kelsey (NCC) 6-2, 6-2
4. Jones, Emily (WHEATON) def. Cross, Reynolds (NCC) 6-0, 6-0
5. Nelson, Erika (WHEATON) def. Ross, Rebecca (NCC) 6-2, 6-0
6. O'Connor, Clare (NCC) def. Kaiser, Katherine (WHEATON) 6-1, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. Ray, Sarah/Buursma, Julie (WHEATON) def. Forkin, Kelsey/Cross, Reynolds (NCC) 8-0
2. Schlabach, Lauren/Jones, Emily (WHEATON) def. Ross, Rebecca/Drone, Katie (NCC) 8-3
3. Nelson, Erika/Parrish, Taylor (WHEATON) def. Bernardo, Kassandra/O'Connor, Clare (NCC) 8-3