Vikings earn first NCAA team berth in school history with dramatic win over Wheaton in CCIW AQ Tournament; Set school record with 24-9 overall mark

 

Ideally the situation called for a veteran player. Someone with experience and savvy who could handle the pressure of having the fate of an entire season on her racquet. Instead, Augustana head women's tennis coach Jon Miedema was pacing the sidelines at the Centre Court Athletic Club in Wheaton, Illinois on Saturday, April 25 watching the lone freshman in his lineup try to make history.
 
The situation, although tense, was actually quite simple. Miedema's Vikings had battled to a stalemate with Wheaton in the championship match in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin's Automatic Qualifier. The score was tied at 4-4 and freshman Mollie Magee (Olathe East HS, Overland Park, Kan.) was squared off against the Thunder's Lauren Schlabach at number three singles. The winner of the match would secure the NCAA berth for her team.
 
Way back on September 13 Magee and Schlabach met in a dual meet and Magee, who had only been on the Augustana campus for less than a month, fell 5-7; 6-4; 4-6. The Vikings lost that match 8-1.
 
With Magee and Schlabach the only players on the court and with the stakes so high, each point became magnified as the Vikings and the Thunder players cheered on their teammates. Showing the poise that was needed, Magee executed down the stretch and defeated Schlabach 5-7; 6-2; 6-4. That set off a wild celebration as Augustana clinched the first NCAA tournament berth in school history.
 
It was the seminal moment in an historic season for Miedema and the Vikings.
 
Augustana finished the year with a 24-9 overall record, setting a new school record for team victories in a single year. The old mark was 20 set in 2010-11 by a Viking team that went 20-9 in Adam Strand's last year as the head coach before moving to his alma mater, Luther College. In an ironic touch, Augustana broke the school record this year on April 19 with a convincing 8-1 win over Strand's Luther team. That was victory number 21 for the season.
 
That set up the AQ weekend, hosted at Wheaton since the Thunder won the CCIW championship in the fall. In the semi-final round the Vikings, who were seeded third, defeated Carthage 5-3. The Lady Reds had been undefeated in league play in the fall and had actually tied for the CCIW tournament title with Wheaton as each scored 55 points back on October 16-18 in Bloomington, Illinois.
 
In order to get by Carthage, Augustana had to overcome a 2-1 deficit in doubles. The lone doubles team to win was the number two duo of Magee and sophomore Lauren Goggin (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.). In singles play, however, Dana Goggin (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) won at number two and Magee picked up a win at third singles. The other wins came from junior Aileen MacDonald (Mundelein HS, Mundelein, Ill.) at number four and senior Miranda Pence (Oswego HS, Oswego, Ill.) at number five.
 
That victory, on Friday, April 24, set up the rematch with Wheaton. Not only had the Thunder won fairly easily in the fall (8-1) but they had a string of seven straight AQ tournament championships.
 
Miedema's team was playing with new-found confidence, however, and it showed when the Vikings won two of three in doubles to take a 2-1 lead. Dana Goggin and MacDonald won at number one and Magee and Lauren Goggin picked up a victory at number two.
 
MacDonald, who missed the fall season because she was on an international term, rolled past Kirstie White 6-0; 6-0 at number four and Pence beat Miranda Kay 6-1; 6-2 at number five. That set up Magee's heroics at number three.
 
After winning the spot in the NCAA Tournament, Augustana won its first match by a score of 5-0 over Edgewood on Friday, May 8 in Chicago. The season ended with a 5-0 loss at the hands of fifth ranked University of Chicago one day later.
 
It was a tremendous year for Miedema's team. The Vikings went 12-2 in the fall and came back in the spring to post a 12-7 mark for the final record of 24-9.
 
Magee set a new school record for singles victories with a record of 30-12. Dana Goggin posted the second highest win total ever with her 29-6 mark. Lauren Goggin was 27-10 and Pence wrapped up her senior season with a record of 25-9. Sophomore Vicki Andonova (Downers Grove South HS, Westmont, Ill.) was 18-12.
 
10/18/14—CCIW CHAMPIONSHIPS
 
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Augustana placed third in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin women's tennis championship on Saturday, October 18 in Bloomington, Illinois. The Vikings scored 52 points and in the process won two single and one doubles title.
 
Sophomore Dana Goggin (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) and freshman Mollie Magee (Olathe East HS, Overland Park, Kan.) each won singles titles and Magee teamed with sophomore Vicki Andonova (Downers Grove South HS, Westmont, Ill.) for a doubles crown.
 
Dana Goggin defeated Max Mella of Carthage 5-7; 7-6; 6-3 at number two singles to win the championship. She moved her record to 16-2 on the season with the victory. Earlier in the tournament she beat Annie Dugan of Elmhurst 6-2; 6-1 and Miranda Grizaffi of North Central 6-1; 6-1.
 
Magee took care of Emily Jones 6-1; 6-3 to claim the crown at number three and run her record to a glossy 19-4 on the season. She beat Hannah Vaselaney of Elmhurst 6-2; 6-0 and Kelsey Forkin of North Central 6-1; 4-6; 6-0 on her way to the title.
 
Magee also teamed with Andonova to win the title at number two doubles. Magee and Andonova beat Emily Jones and Kirstie White of Wheaton 8-4 in the championship match. Magee and Andonova beat Melissa Donovan and Aurbrie Sabin of Millikin 8-3 and Eliza Barter and Abbi Howell of Carthage 8-3 before reaching the championship match. Magee and Andonova are now 10-3 on the year.
 
Senior Miranda Pence (Oswego HS, Oswego, Ill.) dropped a 6-3; 6-2 decision to Kirstie White of Wheaton in the championship match at number four singles. Pence, now 14-5, opened with a 6-0; 6-1 win over Brittany Kuehn of Elmhurst and followed that with a 6-4; 6-4 victory over Eliza Barter of Carthage before falling to White.
 
Andonova placed third at number five singles with an 8-2 win over Clare O'Connor of North Central. Andonova beat Melissa Donovan of Millikin 4-6; 6-0; 6-0 before falling to Taylor Bolyard of Carthage 6-1; 6-1 in the semi-finals. Andonova bounced back with an 8-4 win over Lauren Kuehn of Elmhurst before taking care of O'Connor for third place and moving to 11-5 on the year.
 
Sophomore Lauren Goggin (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) finished fourth at number one singles and is now 15-4 for the year and freshman Rachel Kammerzelt (The Prairie School, Union Grove, Wis.) took fourth at number six singles and finished the fall 7-4.
 
The Goggin twins placed third at number one doubles, beating Nicole Darga and Annie Dugan of Elmhurst for third place to move to 16-5. Pence and senior Chelsea Lavin (Downers Grove South HS, Downers Grove, Ill.) placed fourth at number three doubles and finished the year 6-4.
 
Wheaton won the team title with 65 points while Carthage was third with 55 and Augustana placed third with 52. North Central (30), North Park (8), Elmhurst (7), Illinois Wesleyan (4) and Millikin (4) rounded out the field. Augustana ended the fall portion of the season with a 12-2 overall record and a 4-2 mark in the CCIW.
 
2014 CCIW Women's Tennis Championship
Oct. 16-18, 2014 at Evergreen Racquet Club (Bloomington, Ill.)
 
TEAM SCORES: 1. Wheaton  55; 2. Carthage  55; 3. AUGUSTANA  52; 4. North Central  30; 5. North Park  8; 6. Elmhurst  23; 7. Illinois Wesleyan  4; 8. Millikin  4
 
Singles
1.    McPeek, Haleigh (Carthage) def. Buursma, Julie (Wheaton) 6-4, 6-3                                                                                 
        Daniels, Lisa (North Park) def. Goggin, Lauren (AUGUSTANA) 9-7 for 3rd place
2.    Goggin, Dana (AUGUSTANA) def. Mella, Max (Carthage) 5-7, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3
3.    Magee, Mollie (AUGUSTANA) def. Jones, Emily (Wheaton) 6-1, 6-3
4.    White, Kirstie (Wheaton) def. Pence, Miranda (AUGUSTANA) 6-3, 6-2
5.    Bolyard, Taylor (Carthage) def. Kay, Miranda (Wheaton) 1-6, 6-3, 7-5
       Andonova, Vicki (AUGUSTANA) def. O'Connor, Clare (North Central) 8-2 for 3rd place   
6.    Nelson, Erika (Wheaton) def. Peterson, Kirsten (Carthage) 7-6 (7-1), 6-2
       Andersson, Hanna (North Central) def. Kammerzelt, Rachel (AUGUSTANA) 8-5 for 3rd place
Doubles
1.    Buursma, Julie/Park, Katie (Wheaton) def. McPeek, Haleigh/Mella, Max (Carthage) 8-6
       Goggin, Dana/Goggin, Lauren (AUGUSTANA) def. Darga, Nicole/Duggan, Annie (Elmhurst) 8-4 for 3rd place
2.    Andonova, Vicki/Magee, Mollie (AUGUSTANA) def. Jones, Emily/White, Kirstie (Wheaton) 8-4
3.    Kay, Miranda/Nelson, Erika (Wheaton) def. Bolyard, Taylor/Kalinka, Kristen (Carthage) 8-4                                       
        Grizaffi, Miranda/O'Connor, Clare (North Central) def. Lavin, Chelsea/Pence, Miranda (AUGUSTANA) 8-5 for 3rd place
 
2014 CCIW REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS
SCHOOL                                    CCIW                OVERALL
Carthage                                    7-0                   20-3
Wheaton                                    6-1                   15-7
Augustana                                5-2                   24-9
North Central                             4-3                   13-6
Illinois Wesleyan                        3-4                   5-13
Millikin                                       2-5                   12-6
Elmhurst                                    1-6                   3-11
North Park                                 0-7                   6-12
 
2014-15 CCIW AUTOMATIC QUALIFIER TOURNAMENT
Wheaton, Illinois
 
Friday, April 24
#3 Augustana 5, #2 Carthage 3
#1 Wheaton 5, #4 North Central 0

Saturday, April 25
Augustana 5, Wheaton 4
 
2014-15 AUGUSTANA SUPERLATIVES
CCIW AQ TOURNAMENT: Augustana wins with 5-4 victory over Wheaton in final…First ever NCAA Division III Tournament appearance.
NCAA DIVISION III TOURNAMENT: 1-1 record…Defeated Edgewood 5-0 in first round and lost to fifth ranked University of Chicago 0-5 in second round
CCIW TEAM FINISH: 3^rd in fall regular season; 3^rd place finish in fall flighted tournament
CCIW CHAMPIONS: Dana Goggin – No. 2 singles; Mollie Magee – No. 3 singles; Mollie Magee & Vicki Andonova – No. 2 doubles
CCIW CHAMPIONSHIP MVP: Mollie Magee
ALL-CCIW: Lauren Goggin (1^st team), Dana Goggin (1^st team), Mollie Magee (2^nd team)
CCIW ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE: Amy Even, Lauren, Goggin, Chelsea Lavin, Mollie Magee, Macy Koepke, Rachel Kammerzelt
CCIW PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Mollie Magee (09/24/14); Lauren Goggin (03/18/15) & Dana Goggin (03/25/15)
MOST SINGLES WINS: 30 – Mollie Magee (30-12)
MOST DOUBLES WINS: 29 – Dana Goggin (29-9) & Lauren Goggin (29-11)
NCAA DIVISION III CENTRAL REGION TEAM RANKING: Augustana – 14^th
SCHOOL RECORD – TEAM VICTORIES: 24 (24-9 record)…breaks old mark of 20 (20-9 in 2010-11 with Adam Strand as head coach)
SCHOOL RECORD – INDIVIDUAL VICTORIES IN SINGLES IN SINGLE SEASON: 30, Mollie Magee (30-15), breaks old record of 29 by Kim Sawyer (29-7) set in 2010-11
 
TOP 10 ADDITIONS
SINGLE SEASON VICTORIES – SINGLES: 1^st – Mollie Magee, 30 (30-12); 2^nd (tie) – Dana Goggin, 29 (29-6); 4^th – tie Lauren Goggin, 27 (27-10); 10^th (tie) – Miranda Pence, 25 (25-10)
SINGLE SEASON VICTORIES – DOUBLES TEAM: 7^th (tie) – Dana Goggin & Lauren Goggin, 19 (19-7)
CAREER VICTORIES – DOUBLES TEAM: 6^th (tie) – Dana Goggin & Lauren Goggin, 34 (34-28), 2013-present