WAVERLY — The No. 4 seeded Central College women's tennis team blanked Loras College 5-0 in the first round of the American Rivers Conference tournament Friday night.
           
Central (13-10) advances to face the No. 1 Wartburg College on Sunday in the semifnals.
           
The two teams played a close 5-4 match in September but this match went very differently as Central left no doubt by sweeping all three doubles match at the start of the match.
           
"It started off with doubles," coach Ryun Ferrell said. "The women got focused and gave Loras no reason to be excited. We went right at them and it was neat to watch."
           
Jenna Stewart (senior, Burlington, Notre Dame) and Alyssa Lewton (freshman, Ankeny, Centennial HS) won 8-3 at the top of the doubles lineup.
           
"Loras has a pretty good team at No. 1," Ferrell said. "We had a senior and a freshman who stayed with the plan, stayed aggressive and stuck it to them."
           
The Dutch only needed two singles wins to clinch the match, Maddie Hartley (freshman, Clarinda) won 6-1, 6-1 at No. 3 singles and Katie Larson (freshman, Fort Madison) triumphed 6-2, 6-0 at No. 6 singles.
           
"Maddie set the tone right away and her opponent had no answer for it whatsoever," Ferrell said. "Katie started off a little slow and then settled down and cruised."
           
Hartley and Bronwyn Metcalf (freshman, Pella) won 8-2 at No. 2 doubles. Larson and Sarah Schirm (freshman, Cedar Rapids, Xavier HS) won 8-4 at No. 3 doubles.
           
Central will go back to Waverly on Sunday morning for a 9 a.m. match against Wartburg (17-4, 8-0 conference). The Knights won the first meeting 8-1 on September 15.
           
"We've been training for this tournament all spring and we're looking forward to the challenge," Ferell said.