SURPRISE, Arizona — Catholic High School graduate Heather Mixon and the University of West Florida tennis team advanced to the NCAA Division II women’s tennis finals Saturday before bowing out against top-ranked Barry University.

The UWF Argonauts were the fourth-seeded team with 16 teams competing for the title.

In the first round the Argonauts beat North Georgia 5-0 with Mixon easily winning her first match 6-1, 6-2.

In the quarterfinals, West Florida bested Central Oklahoma 5-3. Mixon won the clinching match with a 6-1, 6-3 victory.

On Thursday the Argonauts beat second-ranked Hawaii Pacific. The Sharks took an early 4-1 lead with two wins in singles and two in doubles before West Florida won its final four singles matches, needing them all to advance. 

Mixon had the clinching win over Barbara Kosinova i a match that lasted over four hours, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4.

In the finals, West Florida lost 5-0 to the defending champion Buccaneers from Miami, who have won four national titles in eight years.

Mixon lost to Jule Razafindranaly of Barry University 6-2, 6-2 in the final match of the day. BU has won 58 straight matches.

West Florida finished 31-4, setting a new team record for wins in a season while advancing to the round of 16 for the 12th time. UWF won its 18th Gulf South Conference championship, extending its conference win streak to 96 straight matches.

Mixon, a junior, went 30-2 on the season including 12-0 in conference play.