BRUNSWICK, Ga.- The Ave Maria University women's tennis team earned the biggest postseason win in program history on Thursday, advancing to the Sun Conference Tournament championship match with a 4-3 win over No. 6 Southeastern on the campus of the College of Coastal Georgia in Brunswick. The Gyrenes leaned on their all-conference selections to advance to the SUN finals for the first time, with all five AMU wins provided by one of the team's four All-SUN selections.

AMU's successes began in doubles play, with wins at the top two spots giving Ave Maria the early 1-0 lead. AMU's top duo of Lara Teodoro and Vitoria Barandas made quick work of their opponents at the first flight, winning 6-1. After Southeastern emerged with a win at the third flight, the doubles point was decided by the second flight. There, Valentine Colin and Andrea Rodriguez Oria controlled the action, winning 6-3 to give the doubles point to the Gyrenes.

The teams traded singles wins throughout the afternoon, with neither squad gaining a true advantage. Southeastern evened the match at two by winning two of the first three matches to finish, claiming victory at the fifth and sixth flights. The AMU win in that stretch came from Barandas, as the first team All-SUN selection once again validated her top spot in the league, rolling to a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Southeastern's Neleah Neiberline.

Three matches would go to a third set, with the team claiming two matches moving on to the SUN finals. The Gyrenes got the first of those points, thanks to a win from Colin at the second flight. Colin took the first set of her match, 6-4, lost the second 6-3, but then steadied for a 6-2 win in the third. A Southeastern win in the first flight meant the match would be decided in the third flight. Rodriguez Oria provided the clinching point for the Gyrenes, rallying from a 6-4 loss in the first set to win the match, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

As was the case in the regular season, the Gyrenes are now one upset away from the first Sun Conference championship in program history. Ave Maria will face off with No. 1 Keiser University, who swept past SCAD-Savannah in the other semifinal on Thursday. The finals are scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Friday in Brunswick, which will also mark the final match for both teams before the national tournament bracket is unveiled on Tuesday.