CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Ava Hrastar and Kylie Bilchev secured a spot in the NCAA Championship quarterfinals after winning a two-hour marathon battle on Wednesday in the round of 16. The Yellow Jackets faced two weather delays, eventually forcing the match to move indoors, and fought off the seventh-ranked doubles team in the country to secure the victory.
Facing No. 7 Alicia Herrero Linana and Melany Krywoj of Baylor, the Bears took the opening set, 6-1, but Bilchev and Hrastar regrouped, racing out with a 5-1 lead in the second set. The Jackets forced a super tiebreak, evening the match with a 6-2 second set victory.
Baylor opened the tiebreak with a 4-1 advantage, but Tech rallied back, knotting it at 5-5. The Jackets extended their lead to 9-6 and looked to close out the win, but the Bears battled back to 9-9. The teams continued to trade points before the Jackets went up 14-13 and closed out the match, 15-13.
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With the win, Hrastar and Bilchev advanced to Thursday’s quarterfinal action. The Jackets will face the winner of the Emma Navarro and Hibah Shaikh (Virginia) vs. Janice Tjen and Savannah Broadus (Pepperdine) match.
NCAA Championships Round of 16
Photos by Ricky Bassman
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