Georgia Southern 5, Jacksonville 2
STATESBORO, Ga. ? The Georgia Southern women’s tennis team topped Jacksonville University, 5-2, Tuesday afternoon marking the first time the Eagles have beaten Jacksonville in the reign of head coach Amy Bonner. A sweep of the doubles matches gave the Eagles the early advantage before they conquered four of six singles matches to secure the win which improved Georgia Southern to 6-4 overall this season.
The Dolphins (3-4) opened strong in doubles, taking the early lead on two courts. But Georgia Southern quickly bounced back to claim the doubles point with a sweep of all three doubles matches. Ali Beavers and Emma Knight paired up at the three seed to finish first, taking with them an 8-3 decision over Iva Jaresova and Virginia Iwunski. Clinching the point at the two seed were Eagles Christine Caforio and Melanie Rolle. The Eagle tandem pushed the match into a tiebreak where they dominated the court, finishing with a 9-8 (5) battle. Completing the sweep were Kristi Kegerreis and Molly Maddox who upset No. 56 Tatiana Soldatova and Elvira Yusupova, 8-6, after being down 6-3.
Evening the score at 1-all, Fernanda Carrero placed Jacksonville on the board with a straight set victory at the six seed before Rolle pushed Georgia Southern in the lead again. Rolle crushed Juliana Umeki from the four position, 6-2, 6-4. Maddox widened the Eagles’ margin when she cruised to a 6-4, 6-3 mark over Jaresova at the three position. But the Dolphins pulled to within one, 3-2, when Iwunski defeated Jessica Fuller at the five seed in a straight set 6-4 fashion not long before Keggereis clinched the match for Georgia Southern at the one seed.
Kegerreis snapped a five-match losing streak at the one seed with the 7-6(1), 6-3 win over Soldatova. Beavers rounded out the afternoon for the Eagles at the two seed. Beavers tallied a 6-4, 7-6(1) decision over Yusupova, securing the 5-2 victory.
Georgia Southern is back in conference action when they welcome Samford to the Hanner Tennis Complex on February 28. First serve is slated for 10 a.m.
Western Carolina 6, Brevard 1
BREVARD, N.C. - Western Carolina women's tennis defeated Brevard College 6-1 Tuesday. The Catamounts won five of six singles matches.
Brevard (4-2, 0-1 South Atlantic Conference) took the top-flight doubles match, as Lindsay Shaeffer and Kim Dixon took down Amanda Massey and Ainhoa Iglesias, 8-6. WCU (2-3) won the final two rounds, though, as Izabella Glinska and Layne Arnold beat Lindsay Hostetter and Kayley Duval, 9-7 and Emily Turke and Chelsea Best took down Merek Slagle and Sara Douglas, 8-3.
In No. 1 singles, Glinska beat Shaeffer, 6-1, 6-4, and the No. 2 match went to Massey, 7-5, 6-1 over Hostetter. The third flight belonged to Iglesias, 6-0, 6-0 over Jennifer Nyman, and the No. 4 match was Best's, 6-3, 6-4 over Duval. Arnold beat Dixon, 7-5, 6-0, in the fifth flight.
Brevard's lone singles point was won by Douglas, 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 over Turke.
The Catamounts play Murray State on Saturday at 10 a.m.