Jan. 15, 2011

LA QUINTA, Calif. - Junior Diana Nakic put together a spectacular performance, defeating two top-10 ranked players to earn a berth in the final at the National Collegiate Tennis Classic on Saturday in La Quinta, Calif.

"Diana is just a winner," assistant coach Alison Ojeda said. "She runs down lots of shots that most people can't and forces a lot of errors. It's really fun to watch her work her way through the points and break down her opponents."

After coming back from down a set in her second match on Friday, Nakic left no doubt in her two high-profile matches on Saturday. In the quarterfinals, Nakic took down Texas' eighth-ranked Aeriel Ellis in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.

Just a couple hours later, Nakic then took on USC's 10th-ranked Danielle Lao and took an even more lopsided victory. A transfer from Georgia State last summer, Nakic defeated Lao, 6-4, 6-1, to earn her fourth consecutive victory to start her Baylor career. Nakic did not compete in any fall tournaments for Baylor due to injuries.

"Diana was so mentally tough from start to finish in her first match," Ojeda said. "Against Lao she had a great first set, and made the necessary adjustments to finish off the match. She is so willing to adapt to every situation."

Nakic will take on Stanford's Hilary Barte in the tournament championship at 1 p.m. PT/3 p.m. CT. Nakic, who will likely break into the rankings in the next poll, takes on Barte, who is ranked fifth in the nation.