Gardner-Webb 4, Davidson 3
Davidson 7, North Carolina A&T 0
DAVIDSON, N.C. - The Davidson women's tennis team got their 2011 season underway with a split in their first two matches as they took a 7-0 decision over North Carolina A&T in the morning, before coming up just short in a 4-3 defeat to Gardner-Webb in the final match of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at the Knobloch Tennis Center.
The Wildcats rolled to their 377th career win under the guidance of Caroline Price, who is entering her 29th year, with a 7-0 blanking of A&T. They opened the match with a sweep of the doubles positions, giving up just three total games in all three matches combined.
Then in singles play, Davidson took all six matches in straight sets, allowing the Aggies no more than two games in any one set.
The freshmen quartet of Nisha Crouser, Brites Moniz-Soares, Tamara Hill and Frizzi Bschorer each scored their first collegiate singles wins, while Crouser, Moniz-Soares and Bschorer picked up their first career doubles wins.
Also scoring wins against the Aggies was Stephani Synn at No. 1 singles, 6-1, 6-2, and Samantha Galainena at No. 4 singles, 6-1, 6-0.
In the afternoon match, Davidson grabbed a 1-0 lead to start against Gardner-Webb as it took two of the three doubles matches. Synn and Crouser earned an 8-6 triumph at No. 1 doubles, while Alison Rauh and Moniz-Soares cruised to an 8-2 decision at No. 2.
But, Gardner-Webb came back to take the top three singles spots and then finished the match off with a win at No. 5.
Scoring Davidson's other two points on the afternoon were Moniz-Soares and Romina Clemente. Moniz-Soares made it a perfect day in singles for her with a three-set, 6-2, 6-7, 6-2, win over Jenny Lunde at No. 4 singles.
Clemente, who earned a doubles win with Crouser vs. the Aggies, closed out the match with a super tie-breaker win, 10-4, in the third set after her and Rita Gouveia split the first two sets, 6-2 and 2-6, at No. 6 singles.
The Wildcats, in the midst of seven-match homestand to open the season, play another doubleheader on Saturday, Jan. 29 against Radford and UNC Asheville. Match times are set for 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
North Carolina 7, Elon 0
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The Elon women's tennis team opened the 2011 season with a tough match at No. 6 UNC on Saturday, Jan. 24, at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center. The Tar Heels took the match with a 7-0 victory over the Phoenix.
In doubles action, freshman Jordan Johnston and sophomore Briana Berne looked to continue their success from the fall season playing at the top spot. The duo eventually fell to Jelena Durisic and Tessa Lyons, 8-3.
Freshmen Frida Jansaker and Bryn Khoury, who played at number two, fell to Gina Suarez-Malaguti and Jennifer Stone, 8-2. Senior Jessica Margolis and freshman Andrea Pont Grau teamed up to take on Haley Hemm and Zoe De Bruycker in the third spot, but the Tar Heel duo took the 8-1 victory.
In singles play, Johnston, playing at number two, fought hard in the second set against Lyons before falling, 6-1, 6-3. UNC was successful in straight sets in all six singles matches.
Elon will play two home matches next weekend against South Carolina State on Friday, Jan. 28 and against USC Upstate on Saturday, Jan. 29. Both matches are scheduled to begin at noon.