Elon 7, USC Upstate 0
ELON, N.C. - The Elon women's tennis team handed USC Upstate its first loss of the year, defeating the Spartans 7-0, under beautiful sunny skies at The Jimmy Powell Tennis Center on Sunday afternoon. The Phoenix (7-3) is off to its best start since it moved to Division I competition in 2000 and is 6-0 on its home court this season. USC Upstate (4-1) had its four-match winning streak snapped.
"We had a great crowd today," Elon head coach Elizabeth Anderson said. "It was very helpful to have all that support from families and the Elon community - it created a great atmosphere. I am proud of the girls for such a convincing win against a good team."
The Phoenix and Spartans split matches at number one and two doubles. Elon's Anna Milian and Elisa Simonetti rolled to their fifth consecutive victory with an 8-1 defeat over Monica Pezzotti and Francisca Valderrama at the top spot. The team point came down to number three doubles after Upstate's Ana-Sofia Camberos and Cinthya Lazaro took an 8-3 victory against Paige Kensrue and Daleen Kloppers. In a hard fought match at number three, senior Laura Graybill and freshman Briana Berne scored an 8-6 win against Simona Cacciuttolo and Emilia Milovanovic to earn the point and shift momentum to the Phoenix.
At number one singles, Milian improved to 7-2 on the year with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Valderrama as Elon took a 2-0 advantage. Berne earned a convincing 6-0, 6-1 win against Carolina Bello at number four. Kensrue clinched the Phoenix victory, battling out a 7-5 win in set one before cruising in the final set to defeat Pezzotti, 7-5, 6-1, at number two.
At number six, Graybill moved to 7-3 on the season, outlasting Milovanovic, 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 (10-7). Simonetti also won in a third-set tiebreaker, defeating Cacciuttolo, 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 (10-3) at the number three. Lauren Sessoms completed Elon's seventh shutout of the season, battling back after dropping set one to earn a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Lazaro at number five.
Elon will be on the road to battle non-conference foe East Carolina before returning to The Jimmy Powell Tennis Center for a five-match home stand. The Phoenix and Pirates will meet on Wednesday, February 24 at 1:30 p.m.
Georgia Southern 7, Hampton 0
STATESBORO, GA - Led by three seniors, seven Eagles combined for a team sweeping, 7-0, over Hampton Sunday afternoon (Feb. 21) at the Hanner Tennis Complex. No matches were dropped as Georgia Southern improved to 4-2 overall, handing the Pirates (1-1) their first loss of the season.
"I was proud of our team stepping up and performing so well this weekend, especially after suffering such a tough loss yesterday," said head coach Amy Bonner. "Our seniors played great today and really displayed their leadership on this team."
Traveling with only five players, Hampton was forced to default on one doubles match and one singles match before the start of play. To open doubles, Jessica Fuller and Melanie Rolle teamed up to hand Barenese Myers and Maria Ycaza an 8-1 loss at the two seed to clinch the point. The Eagles added another victory at the one doubles position as Christine Caforio and Kristi Kegerreis topped Jovanna Sangria and Tabita Daolio, 8-4.
Georgia Southern moved through singles action quickly, capturing all five courts playing in straight sets. Alexandra Langmo recorded her first collegiate dual match win dropping only one game to Janelle Small. Langmo cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 decision before senior Fuller clinched the match at the three seed. The Eagle topped Ycaza, 6-0, 6-2, to seal the win for Georgia Southern.
Fellow senior Kegerreis improved to 5-1 in dual match play with a 6-0, 6-2 crushing of Daolio at the two seed. The Eagles added two more singles wins to finalize the 7-0 sweep at the four and one seeds. Allison Beeler downed Myers with 6-3, 6-1 sets, while Rolle, challenging Sangria at the top singles seed, edged the Pirate, 6-1,6-3 to complete the scoring.
Georgia Southern closed out this three-match homestand with the win and travel to Georgia State on Friday, February 26. First serve is slated for 2 p.m.
College of Charleston 4, North Florida 3
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - College of Charleston women's tennis pulled out a 4-3 victory over North Florida for the team's third consecutive win on Sunday afternoon.
CofC (3-3) picked up the doubles point with victories at the second and third spots. Junior Kinsey Casey and senior Anna Lee Evans won the tiebreaker to earn a 9-8 victory over Ospreys Danielle Day and Lauren Holton. Casey also defeated her opponent in singles action with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Melanie Aguirre in the No. 4 spot.
Evans took the first set, 6-1, from Holton as the sixth seed and forced the match to extra points before eventually yielding a 1-6, 6-3, 10-8 decision.
Junior Emma Hayman won her second singles match of the weekend as the No. 2 seed. Sophomore Caroline Newman also picked up her second straight singles victory at the No.4 spot. She paired with freshman Irene Viana to defeat Melanie Aguirre and Victoria Krook, 8-3.
The Cougars were the first team to defeat North Florida, who fell to 5-1 with the loss.
Charleston visits 22nd-ranked South Carolina in Columbia on Wednesday.
Appalachian State 7, Winston-Salem State 0
Appalachian State 7, Catawba 0
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Appalachian State University women's tennis rebounded from a tough loss Friday evening, and downed Winston-Salem State and Catawba 7-0 Sunday. With the victory, ASU improves to 4-3 on the young season.
The Black and Gold started the match off on an impressive note, earning wins in all three doubles matches.
At the number one doubles spot, the team of Ellie Linsell and Olivia Stannard handed Sloane Holmes and Bianka Locklear an 8-0 loss, while Blakeley Bean and Laura Janke faced stiff competition at the number two spot, but were able to eek out a 9-8 win.
Keeping Appalachian spotless in the match in doubles play, Christina Calott and Heather Prior picked up a 9-7 win over Johanna Nunez and Chelsea Chatman at the number three position.
The stout play continued in singles action, as Appalachian went 6-0.
Linsell ran past Holmes at the number one singles position, winning 6-1, 6-3, while Ansari downed Kayla Carter at the number two spot, winning in two sets as well.
Caroline Mauch and Gisela Fernandez were victorious as well, blanking their competitors in two sets, not even allowing their opponents to earn a win in one game.
Capping off the match in style, Stannard and Bean kept with the Apps winning ways, both grabbing victories at the five and six spots.
Continuing with its impressive play, Appalachian was victorious against Catawba as well, winning 7-0.
In doubles play, the duo of Stannard and Linsell defeated their opponent 8-2, while Bean and Fernandez downed their competitors at the number two spot, winning 8-3. Keeping with the squad's winning ways, Ansari and Laura Janke grabbed an 8-0 win at the number three doubles spot.
Linsell started off singles play on a solid note at the number one spot, defeating Kasia Zielinski 6-3, 6-1, and Ansari earned a win as well downing her opponent in two sets at the number two position.
Mauch and Fernandez were victorious at the three and four spots, each winning in two sets, while Stannard and Bean remained perfect on the afternoon, winning at the five and six spots.
ASU continues with its season as the Apps head to Durham, N.C., Saturday February 27 to take on N.C. Central at 1:00 p.m.
Duke 7, Furman 0
DURHAM, N.C. -- The sixth-ranked Duke women's tennis team blanked Furman, 7-0, Sunday afternoon in Durham, N.C.
No. 47 Elizabeth Plotkin defeated junior Monica Arguello 6-3, 6-2 at number one singles, while #34 Reka Zsilinska beat freshman Lauren Kline 6-1, 6-4 in the second doubles spot. Paladin senior Jessica Preeg dropped a 6-2, 6-1 decision to #60 Amanda Granson at number three singles, and #73 Monica Gorny defeated freshman Michele Stanford 6-3, 6-1 in the fourth singles position. Mary Clayton defeated sophomore Susan Bitetti 6-1, 6-2 at number five singles, while Jessica Stiles recorded a 7-5, 6-2 victory over junior Jennifer Betts in the sixth singles match.
In doubles play, Zsilinska and Plotkin teamed up to defeat Preeg and Kline 8-2 at number one doubles. The doubles team of Gorny and Stiles, ranked 28th nationally, beat Arguello and Stanford 8-1 at number two doubles, while Granson and Clayton defeated Betts and freshman Olivia Maurice 8-1 in the third doubles match.
Furman (3-5) will face UNC-Wilmington on Saturday, Feb. 27 at Noon at the Mickel Tennis Center in Greenville, S.C.
Austin Peay 4, Chattanooga 3
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's tennis team dropped a hard-fought 4-3 match at Austin Peay today. With the loss, the Lady Mocs fall to 1-3 on the season while Austin Peay improves to 4-2.
The Lady Govs won the doubles point with back-to-back wins at No. 1 and No. 2. Senior Beata Knizat and junior Annie Green did post an 8-6 win over Yuri Nakamura and Demi Georgakopolous in the No. 3 bout.
Knizat tied the score at 1-1 win a win in the No. 4 singles match. She defeated Michelle Liew (6-1, 6-1) for her second straight singles win, improving to 3-2 on the year.
Austin Peay swept the next three matches at No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 to clinch the win. Sophomore Shaina Singh battled Mariana Pagan in a three-set contest (4-6, 6-1, 6-2) before falling in the deciding match.
The Lady Mocs won the final two, beginning with junior Grace Robinette's second straight win at No. 5. She defeated Georgakopolous (7-5, 7-6 (5)) in straight sets to improve to 2-0 on the year. Freshman Jennifer Taylor rounded out the scoring with a 7-6 (0), 7-5 win over Nakamura and is now 8-5 in singles action.
The Lady Mocs are back on the courts on Feb. 24 when they travel to Jacksonville State for a 2:30 p.m. (E.S.T.) match. UTC's next home match is against the College of Charleston on Sunday, Feb. 28 at the UTC Tennis Courts at 1:00 p.m.