Georgia Southern 6, Wofford 1
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? The Georgia Southern women’s tennis team returned to winning ways posting a 6-1 victory Monday morning (March 30) over the Wofford Terriers. Despite losing the doubles point, the Eagles rebounded to capture six singles matches en route to the Southern Conference victory. Georgia Southern pushed its record to 11-5 overall this season and 5-2 in conference matches with the win. The Terriers fell to 2-10, 1-4.
Down 1-0, Georgia Southern used four consecutive singles tilts to clinch the SoCon match-up. Shea Huxtable evened the match score at 1-all dropping only three games en route to a 6-1, 6-2 decision over Kristen Demosthenes at the six seed. Huxtable has now won seven of the past eight matches at the No. 6 court. Melanie Rolle improved her unblemished conference record at the four seed to a perfect 7-0 as Sonia Anand was forced to retire in the second set, giving the Eagles the 2-1 advantage. The sophomore now boasts an 11-0 ledger from the No. 4 position this dual season.
Molly Maddox notched her fourth conference victory at the three seed over Sabrina Smyers. Maddox uprooted the Terrier 6-3, 7-6 (5), making the match score 3-1 Eagles’ favor. Kristi Kegerreis clinched the match for Georgia Southern from the top singles position. The Eagle defeated Cayley Wetzig, 7-6(4), 7-5, to secure the match for Georgia Southern.
With the match already decided, the Eagles added two more singles victories. Jessica Fuller ousted Betsy Hauer, 7-5, 6-4, from the five position, while Ali Beavers won a match tiebreaker over Hayley Baird, 6-7(4), 6-2, 10-6 at No.2.
Wofford opened competition claiming all three doubles matches. The Eagle duo of Rolle and Christine Caforio fell at No. 2 by an 8-4 margin to Baird and Smyers giving the Terriers the early doubles lead. Wetzig and Ashley Lawrence clinched the team point for Wofford with an 8-6 decision over Kegerreis and Beavers at the top doubles position. Huxtable and Fuller fell in a tiebreak at court three, 8-7 (4).
Georgia Southern concluded its last road trip of the season with the win and returns home Saturday, April 4 to host Chattanooga. First serve at the Hanner Tennis Complex is slated for 2 p.m.
Appalachian State 5, Gardner-Webb 2
BOONE, N.C.- Appalachian State University women’s tennis got off to an impressive start Monday afternoon as never looked back as the Black and Gold rallied past Gardner-Webb to earn a 5-2 victory at the ASU Tennis Courts. With the win ASU improves to 5-10 on the season while GWU drops to 8-12.
The Mountaineers were able to have the early advantage as they captured the doubles point, winning two of three matches.
The duo of Lindsay King and Blakeley Bean were unable to keep pace with their opponents at the number two doubles spot falling 8-3, but the team of Amanda Cash and Laura Janke picked up a solid win at the number three spot over Jenny Gomez and Tavenner Black, winning 8-3 to knot the doubles score at one apiece. Freshmen Gisela Fernandez and Olivia Stannard came through for Appalachian as they were victorious at the number one doubles position, 8-6, to lead the Apps to the early 1-0 advantage.
In singles play, Cash lost a tough match at the number flight, falling in two sets, but Bean was able to give ASU its lead back as she grabbed a 6-3, 6-4 win over Amy Beavers at the four spot.
Stannard took her opponent into three sets and came up just short, losing 4-6, 6-3,6-3 at the five position, but that would be the last match the Mountaineers
would drop, as the squad would reel off three straight match wins.
King was impressive at the number three spot, as the senior rallied a comeback after dropping the first set to defeat Gomez, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Junior Caroline Mauch clinched the match for Appalachian, as she defeated her competitor in three hard fought sets at the number two spot, winning 7-5, 1-6 and 7-6 (8-6) in the tiebreaker. Mauch’s opponent had two match points in the tiebreaker, but Mauch kept with her steady play and rallied for the win.
Capping off the action, Fernandez also was victorious, beating Black 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 at the number six spot.
The Apps return to action Tuesday March 31, as they take on SoCon foe Wofford at 3 p.m. at the ASU Tennis Courts.