Broadus is now the fourth player under Pepperdine head coach Per Nilsson to qualify at least three times
Pepperdine Waves women’s tennis player Savannah Broadus will take her racket to the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships next month.
Broadus, a senior, qualified for the singles championships by being one of eight singles players to advance through two rounds of matches at the Sept. 21-29 Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American Championships in North Carolina. The singles championships are Nov. 19-24 in Texas.
Broadus, the eighth-ranked singles player in the nation, defeated Old Dominion’s Sofia Johnson, ranked 37th, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 in the round of 16 to gain her championships berth.
Broadus went up a break early and proceeded to win the first five games of the first set. In the second set, won all four points in the opening game, but Johnson rallied to tie the game 2-2. Johnson, with a 5-4 advantage, broke Broadus to score the win.
Broadus broke Johnson with two backhands in the ad-corner that Johnson struggled to return. However, Johnson broke back on deuce point to take a 5-3 lead.
Broadus, an ITA All-American, responded by breaking Johnson with a number of backhands that put the ball near the baseline, which led to Johnson smacking a return too long in the 10th game.
Broadus tied the score and then took the lead when Johnson failed to return a ball Broadus had lobbed. Broadus won the first three points in the final game. She then won a rally on match point.
Broadus beat 44th-ranked Maria Sholokova of Wisconsin 7-6 (1), 6-1 in the quarterfinals.
Broadus bet Vanderbilt’s Bridget Stammel. Ranked 34th, 6-2, 6-3 in the second round. The Pepperdine player downed 57th-ranked Ava Hrastar of Auburn 6-2, 6-3 in the first round.
Broadus is now the fourth player under Pepperdine head coach Per Nilsson to qualify for the singles championships at least three times.