Georgia State 6, Georgia Southern 1
ATLANTA, Ga. - The Georgia Southern Women's Tennis team (3-2) dropped its Sunday match to undefeated Georgia State (6-0) Sunday, February 20th. The 6-1 loss wrapped up the three-match weekend in Atlanta after the Eagles split on Saturday.
The number-one doubles team of Paola Garrido and Ali Beavers suffered its first loss of the season. They battled Georgia State's nationally ranked undefeated doubles pair of Kir Kemp and Tereza Lerova to an 8-5 final.
Garrido and Beavers started strong winning the first games, but Kemp and Lerova came back 2-1 before the Eagles responded with a win for a 3-1 lead. The Panthers rebounded with a four-game streak, taking their first lead at 5-3. The Eagle pair added another game before 40th-ranked Kemp and Lerova responded with two game wins, 7-4. Garrido and Beavers fought back to put the score at 5-7, but could not capture the win, falling 8-5 in the long service match.
Junior Alessandra Dzuba garnered the Eagles' point in singles play with straight set wins 6-1, 6-4 over Georgia State's Vi Truong at the number-six seed. The Eagles were not successful in the other singles matches.
"Georgia State is always one of the toughest teams we play all season," said Head Coach Amy Bonner. "It's great to have an in-state match where we can compete with a team of that caliber that will help to prepare us for our upcoming conference matches at the end of the month."
The Georgia Southern Women's Tennis team will travel to Spartanburg and Greenville, S.C., next weekend for two southern conference matches against Wofford, Saturday, February 26th at 12 p.m. and Furman, Sunday, February 27th, at 12 p.m..
Tulane 4, Furman 3
GREENVILLE, S.C. - Tulane defeated Furman, 4-3, Sunday afternoon in women's tennis action at the Mickel Tennis Center in Greenville,S.C. The Paladins picked up three singles wins in the loss.
Paladin senior Monica Arguello, ranked 64th nationally, defeated Mariam Kurdadze, 6-4, 7-5, at number one singles, and Furman rookie Katherine Oudin recorded a 6-3, 3-6, (10-4) win over Lindsay Dvorak in the third singles match. Fellow freshman Margaret Boyette notched a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Hila Elster at number five singles for the Paladins' third point.
The Green Wave tallied three singles wins, with Emma Levy defeating Paladin sophomore Lauren Kline, 6-2, 6-4, in the second singles spot, and Elizabeth Hamlin beating Furman freshman Amanda Murray, 6-2, 6-3 at number four singles. Emma Helisten posted a 6-3, 7-5 win over sophomore Michele Stanford in the sixth singles contest.
In doubles action, Oudin and Boyette teamed up to give the Paladins an 8-4 victory over Kurdadze and Levy. The Green Wave responded with wins in the remaining doubles spots to take the doubles point. Helisten and Dvorak defeated Muarry and Kline, 8-4, at number two doubles, and Hamlin and Elster combined for an 8-5 win over seniors Jennifer Betts and Arguello in the final doubles match.
Furman (1-4) will return home next weekend, when the Paladins face East Carolina Friday at 3 p.m. The Paladins will open the Southern Conference season next Sunday at home against Georgia Southern at noon.
Virginia Tech 7, Davidson 0
BLACKSBURG, Va. - The Virginia Tech Hokies swept through Davidson by taking all six singles spots on its way to a 7-0 win over the Wildcats on Sunday evening in women's tennis action at the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center.
Davidson fell to 4-7 on the season, whil Tech ran its record to an even 4-4 after also sweeping through UMBC earlier in the day.
The match started with the Hokies taking all three doubles spots. The Wildcat team of Tamara Hill and Romnia Clemente scored the most game wins with four as they dropped an 8-4 decision at No. 3. It was the duos first match together as a team.
Then in singles action, the Wildcats were swept as Virginia Tech took all six spots in straight sets. Stephani Synn dropped a 6-0, 6-4 decision to Yasmin Hamza at No. 1.
Alison Rauh, Samantha Galainena and Romina Clemente all lost their singles matches at No. 2, 4 and 5 singles by the same score of 6-0, 6-2.
Brites Moniz-Soares scored wins in three games, but it was not enough, falling 6-1, 6-2 to Holly Johnson at No. 3. Hill also suffered a 6-2, 6-1 defeat to Emily Lauten at No. 6.
The 'Cats now take some time off before returning to the courts on March 12 at home vs. Georgia Southern to open Southern Conference play. They will also play Evansville later in the day for a doubleheader.