Quick work from the Hope College women's tennis team gave the Flying Dutch a postseason rematch 370 days in the making.
The 34th-ranked Flying Dutch will meet No. 21 Wisconsin-Whitewater for the second consecutive season in the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship after defeating Northwestern-St. Paul 5-0 on Thursday in Whitewater, Wisconsin.
Hope and Whitewater are scheduled to play at 10 a.m. Central on Friday for a spot in the regional final. Whitewater defeated Hope 5-3 in last year's second-round match on May 8, 2015 in Greencastle, Indiana.
The Flying Dutch (19-4 overall) pushed their win streak to 15 matches by sweeping doubles and winning at No. 4 and No. 5 singles.
Freshman Taylor LaBarge of Hudsonville, Michigan (Hudsonville HS) clinched the match by downing Emily Knight 6-3, 6-1 at No. 5 singles.
Sophomore Natalie Rahrig of Fort Wayne, Indiana (Bishop Luers HS) earned a 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 4 singles against Brooke Lapinski.
At No. 1 doubles, senior Marie Holaway of Holland, Michigan (West Ottawa HS) and junior Nancy Benda of Birmingham, Michigan (Seaholm HS) topped Jessica Henke and Karen Moe 8-1.
At No. 2 doubles, senior Anna Garcia of Battle Creek, Michigan (Lakeview HS) and freshman Catherine Wingrove of Okemos, Michigan (Okemos HS) defeated Emily Knight and Tina Matetich 8-3.
At No. 3 doubles, junior Kate Mader of Granger, Indiana (Penn HS) and sophomore Amanda Susnak of Lowell, Michigan (Lowell HS) beat Rachel Bostrom and Nikki Edin 8-1.
Thursday's winner will face the winner of the other semifinal match between Chicago and Gustavus-Adolphus, Minnesota.
Whitewater opened the day with a 5-1 first-round win against St. Scholastica, Minnesota. The Warhawks are 23-5 overall.
