CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The College of Charleston captured its third consecutive Southern Conference Women's Tennis Championship with a 4-3 win over Furman Saturday at the Champions Club in Chattanooga, Tenn. CofC has now won three straight championships after Furman won four straight titles from 2004-08.
Kinsey Casey's straight-sets win over Margaret Boyette at No. 4 singles was the deciding point for the Cougars. Casey needed a second-set tiebreaker to clinch the point as she won 6-3, 7-6 (7-5).
Minutes before the No. 4 singles position was decided, Furman's Monica Arguello tied the match, 3-3, with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Christin Newman at the top singles spot.
The top-seeded Cougars won the tightly-contested doubles point to open the match. Jamie Harrell and Christin Newman stopped Furman's Jennifer Betts and Monica Arguello at No. 3 doubles, 8-4. Furman responded with a 8-5 win at No. 1 from Katherine Oudin and Margaret Boyette, leaving the point to be decided at the No. 2 position. In a back-and-forth set CofC's Amanda Lee and Kinsey Casey outlasted Lauren Kline and Amanda Murray, 9-7.
Michele Stanford notched the first point for Furman (13-11) with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Keely Mulligan at No. 6 singles.
With the matched tied, 1-1, the Cougars won back-to-back singles points at No. 5 and No. 2 from Kelly Kambourelis and Emma Hayman, respectively. With CofC up 3-1, Lauren Kline cut the margin to 3-2 with her 6-3, 6-1 victory over Caroline Newman at No. 3.
Most Outstanding Player: Emma Hayman, College of Charleston
Singles competition
1. Monica Arguello (FUR) def. Christin Newman (COFC) 7-5, 6-1
2. Emma Hayman (COFC) def. Katherine Oudin (FUR) 6-1, 7-5
3. Lauren Kline (FUR) def. Caroline Newman (COFC) 6-3, 6-1
4. Kinsey Casey (COFC) def. Margaret Boyette (FUR) 6-3, 7-6 (7-5)
5. Kelly Kambourelis (COFC) def. Amanda Murray (FUR) 6-2, 6-2
6. Michele Stanford (FUR) def. Keely Mulligan (COFC) 6-3, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Katherine Oudin/Margaret Boyette (FUR) def. Emma Hayman/Irene Viana (COFC) 8-5
2. Katie Lee/Kinsey Casey (COFC) def. Amanda Murray/Lauren Kline (FUR) 9-7
3. Jamie Harrell/Christin Newman (COFC) def. Jennifer Betts/Monica Arguello (FUR) 8-4