College of Charleston 7, Chattanooga 0
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The College of Charleston women's tennis team is off to a 2-0 start to Southern Conference play with a 7-0 win over Chattanooga on Friday afternoon at the UTC Tennis Courts. It marked CofC's second shutout in its last four matches.
From the get-go, the Cougars (6-4, 2-0 SoCon) were in control and swept the doubles point for the second time this season as the sister tandem of senior Caroline Newman and junior Christin Newman started things off with an 8-3 win over UTC's Emily Hangstefer and Brianna Wishing at No. 3 doubles.
Freshman Samantha Maddox and junior Irene Viana combined for an 8-2 victory over Kaylene Chadwell and Alexa Flynn at the top of the lineup followed by freshman Jenny Falcone and sophomore Kelly Kambourelis with an 8-6 tally at No. 2.
For the second-straight match, CofC swept all six singles matches as Christin Newman defeated Jenna Nurik by a count of 6-2 in the first and a love-set in the second at the No. 1 line.
Kambourelis also won in straight sets against Flynn, 6-3, 6-2, at No. 2, while senior Katie Lee improved to a team-best and undefeated 5-0 on the season with a 6-1, 6-4 victory at No. 6 singles which was the deciding point of the match versus the Mocs (8-2, 0-1 SoCon).
Western Carolina 4, Mars Hill 3
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina's women's tennis team picked up its first win of the season Friday afternoon as the Catamounts defeated the Lions of Mars Hill, 4-3. Freshman Megan McLinden - playing in the No. 1 singles slot for the first time this season - picked up her third straight win.
Having played only in the No. 3 spot this season, McLinden played Mars Hills' Erika Pinate in the singles match, defeating Pinate 6-4, 6-2. McLinden has now won four of her last five singles matches bringing her record to 4-3 on the season.
Also picking up wins for the Catamounts were junior Karen Jiménez and freshmen Sarah Walters and Taylor Casey.
Karen Jiménez defeated Anna Rickenbaker in the No. 3 singles match. Jiménez won the match handedly, 6-2, 6-4.
Sarah Walters picked up her first win of the season against Jordan Dockery with a 6-3, 6-1 advantage. Taylor Casey won her match by default.
The win improves the Catamounts record to 1-6 as the Lions fell to 6-5 on the season.
The Catamounts return to Southern Conference action tomorrow as Western Carolina takes on the Phoenix of Elon Saturday at 11:00 a.m.
Cal-State Northridge 5, Furman 2
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - The Cal State Northridge women's tennis team won the doubles point and four singles matches to down Furman, 5-2, Friday at the Matador Tennis Complex in Northridge, Calif.
Paladin sophomores Margaret Boyette and Katherine Oudin opened the match with a convincing 8-1 win over Nigora Siorjiddinova and Anna Yang at number two doubles, before the Matadors rebounded as Jennifer Sher and Sabrina Man-Son-Hing beat junior Lauren Kline and freshman Alex Moreno-Kaste, 8-6, in the top doubles match. Matadors Maria Pistalu and Lorraine Cheung notched an 8-6 victory over junior Michele Stanford and sophomore Amanda Murray in the decisive third doubles contest.
In singles action, Pistalu posted a 6-2, 6-3 win over Alex Moreno-Kaste at number four to give Cal State Northridge a 2-0 lead, before Boyette put Furman on the board with a 6-4, 1-2 win after Man-Son-Hing retired in the third-seeded match. The Paladins tied the match at 2-all after Oudin tallied a 6-1, 6-4 triumph over Yang in the fifth singles contest.
Sher put the Matadors ahead 3-2 with a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Kline in the top singles match, then the Paladins came from behind to force a third set in both remaining matches. Cheung clinched the match for Cal State Northridge with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-0 win over senior Susan Bitetti at number six singles, then Sirojiddinova won a close 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 match against Stanford in the second singles match-up.
The Paladins (3-7) will conclude the team's Spring Break trip to Los Angeles with a 5 p.m. match at Loyola Marymount on Saturday.