PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (September 24, 2024) – Jahnavi called "curtains."
 
In the final round of The Match at Marsh match play event on Tuesday, the University of North Alabama women's golf team was on the ropes against Nova Southeastern heading into the final holes. Needing to turn the tide, senior ace Jahnavi Prakhya made a clutch 40 yard chip for birdie on 16, overcoming what was a two-down deficit into a one-up win on the final hole.
 
Prakhya's win proved to be the clincher, as the Lions defeated the Sharks 4-1 in the third place match at Ponte Vedra Beach nearby Jacksonville, Fla. The win was no easy feat, as Nova Southeastern is currently the No. 7 ranked team in NCAA Division II.
 
The Lions also got an added boost from No. 2 golfer Hannah Dees, as the senior cruised to a 4&3 victory. She clinched with a par on 15, going 4-up by hole seven and as good as 5-up by hole 11. The senior finished the day even, including a par-four birdie on hole six and 13 pars.
 
Dees was seemingly the only player in a comfortable position Tuesday, as the rest of the team were locked into battles. In the No. 3 spot, redshirt sophomore Kerigan Klauber went one-up with a birdie on the first hole, but her opponent Mei Chan answered with a birdie on five to tie it up.
 
Klauber and Chan were all square heading into the back nine, but Chan got the lead back with another birdie on 13. However, Klauber answered with two pars and a birdie 13-15 to win three straight holes and take the advantage. Chan forced the issue on hole 17, but Klauber put the stamp on her point with a birdie to end 2-up.
 
Nova Southeastern, who won the five spot, seemed in command before Klauber and Prakhya grinded out wins late on the back nine.
 
The tightest battle came between the No. 4 golfers, as true freshman Olivia Whittle went to extras with Ida Lundh. Whittle had the early advantage for UNA, going 3-up in the first four holes. Adversity struck when Lundh hit a pair of birdies on 9 and 11 pull closer, then a par on 13 put the two all square.
 
Whittle fell behind for the first time with a bogey on 15, but she did not give up. On the final three holes, Whittle matched a pair of pars to stay alive and then carded a birdie on the 18th hole to make it all square again. This forced Whittle and Lundh into extra holes, where Whittle went up in the third round of sudden death.
 
Tournament hosts Stetson and Jacksonville battled in the championship, finishing tied at 2.5 to 2.5 with the three spots going to extras. Embry Riddle won the consolation bracket over Palm Beach Atlantic.
 
The Lions finish third in their first-ever match play event, which comes in the seventh season of the program's history.
 
Next month, the Lions return to action at the Lady Red Wolves Classic hosted by Arkansas State at Sage Meadow Golf Club. The action runs from Oct. 14-15 in Jonesboro, Ark.
 
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