MONROE, Mich. --- Florida's Mia Piccio defeated Tusculum's Emee Herbert 2 and 1 in the opening day of match play of the championship flight at the 112th Women's Western Golf Association's National Amateur Championship at the Monroe Golf & Country Club.

Herbert advanced to the Round of 64 by firing a two-day score of 79-74=153 earlier this week to move onto the championship flight.

Piccio, a two-time All-Southeastern Conference Second Team performer, just completed her junior campaign on the University of Florida women's golf team where she finished second on the team with a 74.41 scoring average with six top-25 performances, including two in the top-10.

Last month, Herbert went 5-0 in her match play events, including a 3 & 1 victory over Rika Park of the University of Miami, to win the 2012 Women's Southern Amateur in Charlotte, N.C.

Herbert, the 2012 South Atlantic Conference Freshman of the Year, finished in the top 20 in 10 of her 11 events, including eight top-10 performances and four in the top five. The All-SAC First Team selection finished runner-up at the Anderson Invitational and the Myrtle Beach Intercollegiate. She also finished third at the Flagler Fall Slam and the South Atlantic Conference Championship

Herbert was listed in seven categories in the final Golfstat Division II statistical report, including: 25th in stroke average (76.71), 13th in par five scoring (5.08), 19th in par three scoring (3.24), 27th in score versus par (+4.78), 32nd in subpar strokes per round (1.77), 35th in par four scoring (4.37) and 41st in birdies (39). Her stroke average is the lowest in school history and was the second best in the SAC this year.

At the NCAA Division II South Regional, the Johns Creek, Ga. native finished in sole possession of ninth place with 74-78-72=224 (+8) as she finished one shot out of a playoff for the final individual spot to advance to the NCAA National Championship. Herbert's 54-hole score of 224 is the lowest in school history and the third-best by a SAC golfer.

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