Furman 7, Davidson 0
Greenville, S.C. ? With a shutout victory over the visiting Davidson Wildcats on Saturday afternoon, the Furman women’s tennis team earned its ninth consecutive Southern Conference regular-season title with a perfect 9-0 league record. The Lady Paladins (13-9, 9-0) extended their regular-season conference winning-streak to 79 consecutive matches, meaning that three seniors will leave Furman having never lost a regular-season SoCon match. Furman said goodbye to Bonnie Baird, Lisa Bornt-Davis and Jacqueline Eckert on Saturday, as the ladies played their final matches at Mickel Tennis Center. Davidson dropped to 16-6 overall, 6-2 in the conference.
Furman did not lose a match en route to the 7-0 win, coming away victorious in all three doubles matches. Eckert and Lauren Osborne won their seventh straight match, defeating Meredith Skeeters and Virginia Berry, 8-3, at flight three. Lisa Bornt-Davis and Lauren Tomory knocked off Lora Dushanova and Michele Fanney, 8-4, to improve to 7-0 in SoCon matches. At number one Laura Gioia and Natasa Manojlovic remained perfect in league action with an 8-5 triumph over Kelsey Linville and Kim Whelan.
In singles action, the Lady Paladins came out firing. Gioia improved to
9-1 over her last 10 matches, posting a 6-4, 6-1 win over Linville at flight one. Tomory had little trouble with Dushanova, rolling to a 6-0,
6-2 victory at number five. Osborne clinched the match for the home team with her straight-set win over Fanney at number two. Wins by Baird, Eckert and Manojlovic made it a sweep for the Paladins.
Furman will head to the Southern Conference Tournament this week as the top seed. The Paladins will open play on Friday, April 20 at 8:30 a.m., at Earle Tennis Center at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C. They will play the winner of the eight seed vs. nine seed match, which takes place on Thursday. The final seeding in the tournament will be announced tomorrow.
Furman 7, Davidson 0
Doubles
1. Laura Gioia/Natasa Manojlovic (FUR) def. Kelsey Linville/Kim Whelan
(DAV) 8-5
2. Jacqueline Eckert/Lauren Osborne (FUR) def. Meredith Skeeters/Virginia Berry (DAV) 8-3 3. Lisa Bornt-Davis/Lauren Tomory (FUR) def. Lora Dushanova/Michele Fanney
(DAV) 8-4
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles
1. #123 Laura Gioia (FUR) def. Kelsey Linville (DAV) 6-4, 6-1 2. Lauren Osborne (FUR) def. Michele Fanney (DAV) 6-4, 6-4 3. Bonnie Baird (FUR) def. Virginia Berry (DAV) 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) 4. Jacqueline Eckert (FUR) def. Kim Whelan (DAV) 3-6, 6-4, 10-3 5. Lauren Tomory (FUR) def. Lora Dushanova (DAV) 6-0, 6-2 6. Natasa Manojlovic (FUR) def. Meredith Skeeters (DAV) 4-6, 6-4, 10-7 Order of Finish: 1, 5, 2, 3, 4, 6
Georgia Southern 5, Chattanooga 2
STATESBORO, Ga. ? The Georgia Southern women’s tennis team defeated Chattanooga 5-2 in the final regular season match of 2006-07. The team honored senior Heather Reynolds as she competed in her final match as an Eagle.
The Eagles captured the doubles point, taking two of three from the Mocs. Kristi Kegerreis/Reynolds defeated Bonnie Adams/Beata Knizat 8-2 at the No. 2 position. Jessica Matlosz/Emma Knight took the No. 3 match from Samantha Duggan/Kate Ksiezopolski 8-3. Molly Maddox/Christine Caforio fell 8-3 to Anastasia Zhukova/Lindsey Ballard in No. 1.
GSU got four singles wins on the way to the victory. Kegerreis defeated Ballard 6-4, 6-1 at No. 2. Jessica Fuller took the No. 4 6-2, 6-0 match from Adams. Shea Huxtable won 6-0, 6-0 over Kziezopolski at No. 5 and Knight won 6-2, 6-1 over Duggan at No. 6. Maddox fell 6-0, 6-1 to Zhukova at No. 1 and Reynolds dropped the No. 3 match 7-6, 2-6, 10-6 to Knizat.
GSU 5, UTC 2
Singles
1. Anastasia Zhukova (UTC) def. Molly Maddox (GSU) 6-0, 6-1 2. Kristi Kegerreis (GSU) def. Lindsey Ballard (UTC) 6-4, 6-1 3. Beata Knizat (UTC) def. Heather Reynolds (GSU) 7-6, 2-6, 10-6 4. Jessica Fuller (GSU) def. Bonnie Adams (UTC) 6-2, 6-0 5. Shea Huxtable (GSU) def. Kate Ksiezopolski (UTC) 6-0, 6-0 6. Emma Knight (GSU) def. Samantha Duggan (UTC) 6-2, 6-1
Doubles
1. Anastasia Zhukova/Lindsey Ballard (UTC) def. Molly Maddox/Christine Caforio (GSU) 8-3 2. Kristi Kegerreis/Heather Reynolds (GSU) def. Bonnie Adams/Beata Knizat (UTC) 8-2 3. Jessica Matlosz/Emma Knight (GSU) def. Samantha Duggan/Kate Ksiezopolski (UTC) 8-3
Elon 5, Liberty 2
ELON, N.C. ? Paige Kensrue staved off Kathy Waldthausen 6-4, 7-6 (5) at No. 3 singles to clinch a 5-2 non-league women’s tennis triumph for Elon over Liberty Saturday afternoon at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.
Captain Jenn Tucci (over Ekaterina Kuznetsova 6-0, 6-1 at No. 2), Whitney Butcher (over Livia Branco 7-5, 6-4 at No. 5) and Alli Benton (over Daniela Dimas 6-4, 6-2 at No. 6) also claimed success in singles as the Phoenix (13-9) won for the fourth consecutive outing. Benton (5-1), the team’s lone senior, was honored in a Senior Day ceremony prior to the match.
The Flames (5-10) picked up wins at No. 1 where Jonita Randolph rallied past Deanna Bailey 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 and No. 4 where Martyna Hanusz out-dueled Hayley Wahl 6-7 (3), 6-1, 10-2.
Elon swept the three doubles bouts. Bailey and Tucci defeated Randolph and Hanusz 8-2 at No. 1, Butcher and Kensrue edged Kuznetsova and Branco 9-8 (2) at No. 2 and Benton and Wahl outlasted Waldthausen and Dimas 9-7 at No. 3.
The Phoenix will return to the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center to host Lees-McRae at 1 p.m. Sunday. Liberty visits UNC Greensboro at 3:30 p.m. Monday.