MUNCIE, Ind. – No. 1 seed Toledo defeated No. 4 Miami, 4-2, in the semifinals match of the Mid-American Conference Championships at the Cardinal Creek Tennis Center on Saturday. Mariona Perez clinched the match for the Rockets from the No. 4 court in a drawn-out 1-6, 6-0, 6-3 final to help the Rockets advance to the tournament finals for the second-straight season. The tournament runs clinch-scoring format, where the first team to four points wins the match.

"So much mental toughness today!" head coach Tracy Mauntler said. "The doubles was tight, but the way the team bounced back in the singles showed how tough we really are. This team fights so hard for their teammates."

Perez won the final two sets of her match after dropping her first set to Emilia Valentinsson. Perez's serve was volleyed twice before Valentinsson's return sailed out of bounds for the final point of the match.

Toledo (20-3), which won its 12th-consecutive match, had to rally after losing the doubles point. Julia Kuszynski and Sanjana Tallamraju won on the No. 2 doubles court 6-3, but Miami's No. 1 and No. 3 tandems triumphed to put the Redhawks up 1-0 heading into singles play.

Cassie Alcala tied the match 1-1 with her quick 6-4, 6-1 win over Laura Rico from the No.1 court. Shalini Tallamraju gave Toledo its first lead of the afternoon with her two-set victory at the No. 3 court. Moments later Kuszynski put the Rockets within one point of advancing with her triumph at the No. 6 spot. Catherine Denysiewicz-Slowek kept the RedHawks within one point from her three-set win at the No. 2 spot to make it 3-2 before Perez sealed the victory for Toledo.

Toledo will face the winner between No. 2 seed Ball State and No. 3 Buffalo tomorrow at noon for the MAC Tournament Championship title and an automatic berth into the NCAA Championship Tournament.

MAC Championship Semifinals
No. 1 Toledo 4, No. 4 Miami 2
Doubles
1. Laura Rico/ Catherine Denysiewicz-Slowek (MU) 7-6(3)
2. Julia Kuszynski/ Sanjana Tallamraju (TOL) 6-3
3. Nishitha Saravanan/ Mayu Ushio (MU) 6-3
Singles
1. Cassie Alcala (TOL) 6-4, 6-1
2. Catherine Denysiewicz-Slowek (MU) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
3. Shalini Tallamraju (TOL) 6-1, 6-4
4. Mariona Perez (TOL) 1-6, 6-0, 6-2
5. Sanjana Tallamraju (TOL) 6-4, 4-6, 3-2 unfinished
6. Julia Kuszynski (TOL) 6-1, 6-4