Women’s golf looks to defend MVC Championship

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Aces head to Missouri for conference championship

 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Greenbriar Hills Country Club in Kirkwood, Missouri will be the site of 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Championship with the University of Evansville women’s golf team looking to defend their title from 2021.

Comprised of 54 holes, the championship will feature one round of 18 each day between Sunday, April 17 and Tuesday, April 19.  Par is set for 71 while the yardage checks in at 5,830.  All ten MVC schools will be playing in the tournament.

It was just one year ago when the Purple Aces made their improbable run to the first-ever women’s golf conference championship in program history.  Following the opening two rounds, the Aces led the field by 10 strokes.  With a steady snow falling throughout the final round, Evansville held strong to force a playoff hole against Northern Iowa.

Only one hole was needed for the Aces to clinch the championship with Sophia Rohleder taking medalist.  Following her graduation, UE brings extensive experience into the 2022 championship with four out of five returning from the 2021 championship run.  Allison Enchelmayer tied for the 12th position last April while Alyssa McMiinn also picked up a top 20 finish, tying for 17th.

Caitlin O’Donnell set the tone for the Purple Aces in last year’s opening round, shooting a 73 to put Evansville in position to hold the double-digit lead following the first two rounds.  Mallory Russell came home in the 32nd position in her first MVC event.  Her biggest contribution came on the playoff hole where she hit the first shot off the tee, which set the Aces up for the playoff win.

This year, Russell holds the low stroke average for the Aces.  She enters the championship with a 78.81 average.  Russell excelled in the fall, tying for 6th at the Briar Ridge Invitational while recording a 77.20 average in the opening months of the season.  Enchelmayer (79.58) and McMinn (79.79) also hold averages under 80 at the completion of the regular season.  Set to make her inaugural championship appearance is freshman Magdalena Borisova.

 

Borisova has the second-lowest spring average for UE, sitting at 79.64.  Over her last seven rounds, Borisova has posted a 77.57 average.  Her top finish was a tie for fourth at the Indiana State Invitational.