INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Transylvania's women's tennis team defeated Anderson 5-3 Sunday, capturing the Heartland Conference Tournament and earning the school's second NCAA Division III Championship appearance.

The Pioneers, who also won the HCAC title in 2009 under head coach Chuck Brown, got off to a fast start against the Ravens at the West Indy Racquet Club, taking a 2-1 lead after doubles play.

Transy (11-1) then notched wins in three singles matches to clinch the victory.

The Pioneers reached the finals for the third year in a row, beating Franklin 5-1 in semifinal play on Saturday. Anderson (10-5) upset the event's top seed and defending champion, Rose-Hulman, by a 5-4 margin.

Rose-Hulman and Transy shared the HCAC regular season crown. The NCAA will hold the Division III women's tennis tournament in May.

"It's a big win for our program," said Brown, who has also guided the Pioneers' men's team to four NCAA tourney appearances. "I thought going into the season that if we stayed healthy and continued to improve, we'd have a shot at the championship. This is one of the deepest women's teams I've had at Transy."

Kelsey Fulkerson and Stephanie Townsend got the Pioneers off to a solid start, winning at No. 1 doubles in a tie-breaker. The score 9-8 (4). Kaitlyn Hizny and Andi Mong won another close match at No. 2 doubles, 8-5.

In singles, Fulkerson won at No. 1, 6-2, 6-1, and Townsend got anothe point at No. 2, winning 6-1, 6-3. Transy's other win came at No. 3 by Hizny, who took a 7-5, 6-2 decision.

SATURDAY'S RECAP

Transylvania's women's tennis team rolled over Franklin 5-1 Saturday, earning a berth in the Heartland Conference Tournament Championship game.

The Pioneers lost only at No. 3 doubles when they dropped a 9-8 (2) tie-breaker. Transy got wins at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles and in the No. 1, 3, and 5 singles matches.

Transy will face Anderson, an upset 5-4 winner over No. 1 seed Rose-Hulman, at 10 a.m. Sunday at the West Indy Racquet Club. It would have been the third year in a row that the Pioneers had met the Engineers in a match to determine the HCAC's automatic qualifier for the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Transy and Rose-Hulman shared the 2011 HCAC regular season championship, but the Engineers got the No. 1 seed by handing the Pioneers their only league loss.

Transy defeated Rose-Hulman in the 2009 finals, but lost last year.

Anderson defeated Manchester 5-4 earlier Saturday to reach the semifinal round while Franklin was a 5-4 winner over Hanover.

In the HCAC semifinals, Kelsey Fulkerson and Stephanie Townsend captured the No. 1 doubles match, 8-0, and Andi Mong and Kaitlyn Hizny won at No. 2 doubles, 8-2.

In singles action, Fulkerson won 6-1, 6-0 at the top spot while Hizny got the win at No. 3, 6-2, 6-1. Transy wrapped up the match with a 6-3, 6-1 win by Victoria Haugli at No. 5 singles.