Appalachian State 5, Western Carolina 2
CULLOWHEE, N.C. ? Western Carolina women’s tennis (4-13, 0-8 SoCon) dropped its final Southern Conference home match 5-2 to Appalachian State (7-12, 2-4 SoCon) Sunday at the Catamount Tennis Complex.
The Catamounts were swept in doubles play to give the Mountaineers a 1-0 advantage headed into singles play. A pair of Western Carolina players got their first wins in conference play for the team.
Ainhoa Iglesias got her first win in a conference match when she defeated Caroline Mauch 6-1, 6-2 at No. 2 singles. Chelsea Best also got her first SoCon victory at No. 4 defeating Lindsay King 6-4, 3-6, 10-5.
Furman 5, UNC Greensboro 2
GREENSBORO, N.C. ? Despite losing the doubles point for the first time in Southern Conference play, the Furman women’s tennis team remained undefeated in the league with a 5-2 win over UNC Greensboro on Sunday afternoon. The Lady Paladins improved to 12-7 overall and 7-0 against conference opponents. UNCG dropped to 10-6 on the season and 5-2 in league play.
Furman’s regular-season conference winning streak reached 95 consecutive matches with the victory.
The Spartans gained the early upper hand, winning at number one and two doubles to take the team point. Furman’s Susan Bitetti and Jessica Preeg earned the loan doubles win of day for the Lady Paladins, defeating Jessica Eblen and Britney Cloer, 8-2.
Furman quickly rallied in singles action, winning matches one through four in straight sets. Senior Laura Gioia rolled to a 6-1, 6-2 win against Alejandra Guerra at the top spot. Prior to the loss, Guerra was 16-0 in her career against SoCon foes, having defeated Gioia in last year’s meeting. Gioia, currently ranked 15th in the country, improved to 14-4 on the season.
Sophomore Monica Arguello improved to 7-0 in the SoCon with a 6-2, 6-2 mark against Valerie Behr. Preeg also remained unbeaten in league play, defeating Arielle VonStrolley, 6-2, 6-3, at number three. Bitetti rolled to a 6-2, 6-0 victory against Cloer at position four. Spartan freshman Lucy Dougherty halted senior Lauren Tomory’s 12-match winning streak with a 6-2, 6-7 (6), 10-8 win at number five. Sophomore Jennifer Betts added the final Lady Paladin point with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Eblen at position six.
Columbus State 6, Samford 1
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - In its final non-conference match of the 2009 regular season, the Samford University women’s tennis team dropped a 6-1 decision against the Columbus State Cougars on Sunday at the Samford Tennis Center.
With the loss, Samford (6-9) moved to 3-6 against non-conference opponents and had its two-match winning streak snapped. Prior to Sunday’s contest against Columbus State (17-1), the Bulldogs picked up identical 5-2 Southern Conference victories over Chattanooga and Appalachian State.
Columbus State, which is one of the top tennis programs in Division II, earned its 12-consecutive victory Sunday. The Cougars have not been defeated since a 9-0 setback against No. 1-ranked Armstrong Atlantic on Feb. 22.
On Sunday, Columbus State won the doubles point and then picked up five victories in singles play to register its 6-1 decision.
Samford’s lone triumph in singles play occurred on court No. 2 where sophomore Andrie Meiring knocked off Columbus State’s Roxana Dondera 6-4, 6-2. With the victory, Meiring improved to 9-6 in singles play and tallied her third-consecutive win.
In doubles play, Meiring was also triumphant Sunday as she and Jessica Diamond rallied for an 8-4 victory against the Cougars’ combination of Hanane Toumi and Dondera, 8-4, on court No. 2. With their win, Meiring and Diamond remained undefeated in doubles play and upped their record to 10-0 this season.
The Samford women’s tennis team will next be in action Saturday at 1 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs continue their four-match, regular-season-ending homestand against the Western Carolina Catamounts in a SoCon duel to be held at the Samford Tennis Center.