BRUNSWICK, Ga. — The College of Coastal Georgia women's tennis program steps onto the national stage for the first time this week, competing in the 45th Annual NAIA Women's Tennis National Championship at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Alabama. The Mariners open tournament play Tuesday, May 12, against Our Lady of the Lake University (San Antonio, Texas) at 1 p.m. CT.
The 24-team field features powerhouses from across the NAIA landscape, gathering in Mobile for what promises to be one of the deepest women's tennis championships in recent memory.
A TEAM BUILT FOR THIS MOMENT
The Mariners enter the national championship on the strength of one of the most dominant closing stretches of the season. In March, Coastal reeled off consecutive shutout victories — blanking Georgetown 7-0 and Earlham 7-0 — during which they won 12 straight singles matches without dropping a set and swept five of six doubles matches across both contests. The Mariners' most recent results include a hard-fought 4-1 win over New College of Florida in mid-April, cementing their national tournament résumé.
TALENT FROM TOP TO BOTTOM
The spine of this team is built around a talented international core. Gabriella Rodrigues and Karlie Scott Kersey have been the steadiest partnership in the program, operating at No. 1 doubles where their chemistry and composure set the tone for the entire lineup. The pair has delivered in tight situations, including a pair of 7-6 set wins in a contested doubles battle against New College.
At the top of the singles draw, Gabriela Miteva has been among the team's most consistent performers, winning at both the No. 1 and No. 2 singles positions throughout the year and producing dominant results when the Mariners have been at full strength. Manon Baudet and Freya Zayyan have anchored the middle and lower portions of the lineup with exceptional efficiency — both have produced double-bagel (6-0, 6-0) singles performances at various points this season — while Luna Feillon and Felicia Elixmann provide critical depth at the back of the order.
SCOUTING OUR LADY OF THE LAKE
The Saints of San Antonio compete in the Red River Athletic Conference and have a track record of NAIA postseason experience, having earned tournament bids in recent years. OLLU brings a measured, fundamentally sound approach to competition, with a roster built around consistency on both sides of the court. The Saints won their conference tournament qualifier to earn their national championship berth and will not be taken lightly.
WHAT TO WATCH
The doubles point will be crucial, as it has been all season for Coastal Georgia. When Rodrigues and Scott Kersey establish control at No. 1 and the team follows up with wins at No. 2 or No. 3, the Mariners have been nearly impossible to beat. If Coastal can claim that early momentum and let Miteva, Baudet, and Zayyan do their work in singles, the Mariners have the tools to advance deep into the bracket.
A win Tuesday sends Coastal Georgia into the second round on Wednesday. The women's championship, like the men's, runs through Saturday, May 16, with the national champion crowned at week's end.
First serve for both Mariner tennis programs is set for Tuesday, May 12, at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Alabama — men at 10 a.m. CT, women at 1 p.m. CT.
