OMAHA, Neb. – South Dakota junior Jana Lazarevic captured the Flight A Singles title during the Creighton Invitational that concluded a two-day run on Saturday.
 
Lazarevic posted three wins, only dropping one set, on way to securing the championship.
 
She opened the event with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Northern Iowa's Harri Proudfoot and downed Creighton's Sarah Wilcox in the semifinals 6-1, 6-0. She then needed a 10-6 tiebreak triumph to claim the title over Creighton's Katie Krueger after the two had split the first two sets, 6-3 and 3-6.
 
"Jana has been playing great tennis all fall and played such a solid tournament," coach Brett Barnett said. "She handled tough conditions, and three opponents who all played a different style.
 
"It was a well-deserved championship for her and it is great to see her play complete matches against really good players all fall."
 
Lazarevic teamed with freshman Berta Girbau and the duo recorded a pair of wins in the Flight A Doubles to reach the title match.
 
The pair defeated Ochotorena/Jansson from North Dakota (7-5) to open the tourney before turning back Valentine/Potockova of Gustavus Adolphus (6-4). The duo dropped the championship match to Creighton's Wilcox/Krueger (6-4).
 
Girbau, playing in the Flight B Singles, posted a 2-1 mark and finished third.
 
She opened the tourney with a 6-3, 2-6 (10-8) win over North Dakota's Nina Zoravkovic before falling in the semifinal to Creighton's Emma Gener. She posted a 6-3, 6-3 win over Erin Epperson of Creighton in the third-place match.
 
"Berta had an outstanding tournament as well reaching the doubles final with Jana after we paired them together last minute and beating two very good players to take 3^rd," said Barnett. "She improves each day and has all the tools to be a very good college player for us."
 
Eesha Varma went 2-1 and advanced to the finals in the Flight E Singles while Agustina Diaz went 2-1 in the Flight D Singles and Nanette Nylund 1-2 in the Flight C Singles.
 
Varma, a freshman, posted wins over Areil Ortiz of Doane (6-0, 6-1) and Olivia Fain of Northern Iowa (4-6, 6-3, 10-3) before falling to Creighton's Julia Aguirre (6-1, 6-4).
 
"I am really proud of everyone for how they stepped us this weekend," said Barnett. "We lost a couple players to illness right before we left, we were playing our third straight weekend, moving players up and everyone adjusted and played some really good tennis.
 
"Everyone is doing a great job competing hard, playing for each other, and trusting some adjustments Coach (Barbora) Kollárová and I have made in their games."
 
The Coyotes will wrap up the fall season at the ITA Regionals competition in Norman, Oklahoma, that runs Oct. 17-20.
 
"Well deserved couple weekends off for us as we prepare for the regional championships in Oklahoma in a couple of weeks."