Nicholasville, Ky. – The Transylvania women's tennis team completed its championship climb for the third season in a row, winning 5-0 over the Anderson University Ravens in the fall 2021 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Women's Tennis Championship match on Sunday morning at Top Seed Tennis Club.

The Pioneers clinched their third consecutive conference tournament championship to cap off an extraordinary fall, matching an undefeated conference regular season with an unblemished march through the conference tournament over the weekend.

The Pioneers earned their second conference tournament championship in less than seven months after capturing the delayed 2021-22 HCAC Tournament championship this past April, and their third straight conference tournament championship overall. By winning the HCAC Tournament championship on Wednesday, the Pioneers secured their third straight NCAA Tournament berth, setting the stage for their appearance next May at the 2022 NCAA National Championships.

Transylvania rode a true team effort to the summit on Sunday, fighting their way to victory across three gritty doubles matches. Grace Gardner and Katherine Taylor encountered little turbulence in notching an 8-1 victory at No. 2 doubles to put the Pioneers on the board for the first time on Sunday. Drama ensued as Porsche Robinson and Jessica Burton found themselves in a 4-1 hole before reeling off seven straight games for a jaw-dropping 8-4 victory at No. 1 doubles, giving the Pioneers a 2-0 advantage on Championship Sunday.

Competing at No. 3 doubles, Alyssa Igyarto and Christina Duvall saw a 7-5 lead fall by the wayside, and eventually endured a 5-2 deficit in the tiebreaker versus Jenna Kuntz and Claire Hannaford. Igyarto and Duvall dug in deep, winning five straight points to clinch a 7-5 tiebreaker thriller, and gave the Pioneers an insurmountable 3-0 advantage heading into singles play.

Across the outdoor surfaces of Top Seed, the Pioneers all faced their best shots from the Ravens, who collectively waged desperate comeback efforts. But Taylor broke through for a 6-0, 6-0 win over Kuntz at No. 5 singles, and Igyarto won 12 of 13 games at No. 6 singles against Morgan Oconitrillo to ring the bell first for the Pioneers and retain their championship trophy.    

Transylvania won its second championship match over the Ravens in three seasons, taking the rematch of the fall 2019 championship over the Ravens.

Taylor was named the HCAC Tournament's Most Outstanding Player after only conceding one game on Sunday between singles and doubles play.

Sunday's victory certifies the latest landmark in a golden age for Transylvania women's tennis. The fall 2021 championship marked the first conference threepeat for the Pioneers in program history and their fifth overall conference tournament championship. All three tournament championships have occurred under third-year and newly-minted Coach of the Year, head coach Bill Carey.

The conference tournament rounds out Transylvania's fall schedule. The Pioneers will resume play in February 2022 as they continue to chisel into form ahead of the NCAA Tournament.

For more on Transylvania women's tennis, follow @TransyWTennis on Twitter