Appalachian State 6, Wofford 1
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Closing conference play with a 5-5 record, Appalachian State University women's tennis beat Wofford, 6-1, in the team's final Southern Conference match of the season at Reeves Tennis Center on Monday.
With the win, the Mountaineers (12-9, 5-5 SoCon) tally their most overall wins and conference victories since going 13-8, 5-4 SoCon in 2006. Wofford fell to 5-13 (1-7 SoCon).
In doubles action, Appalachian juniors Jennifer Ansari and Ellie Linsell tore through an 8-3 win in the No. 1 spot. Though Wofford took the No. 2 match, 8-4, Mountaineers Blakeley Bean and Kim-Lea Dinh converted the pairs point with an 8-6 win in the No. 3 position.
Individually, Linsell has little trouble securing a 6-2, 6-4 win for her third-straight victory in the top singles position, and Ansari picked up the No. 2 showdown by an identical margin.
Wofford earned its lone point of the match at No. 3 singles as Audrey Coventry topped junior Gabriela Celi 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.
Appalachian's biggest margin came in sophomore Jessica Thaggard's No. 4 match, as the App let only one game go in a 6-0, 6-1 triumph. Dinh followed with a 7-6(7-1), 6-3 straight-sets victory in the No. 5 slot.
ASU freshman Gabby Gabriel capped off the match with her team-high 14th win of the year, cleaning up the No. 6 match in a 6-2, 6-3 fashion for her fifth victory in a row.
College of Charleston 7, Louisiana-Lafayette 0
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - The No. 61-ranked College of Charleston women's tennis team swept all of its singles and doubles matches to defeat Louisiana-Lafayette, 7-0, and get back to its winning ways on Monday afternoon at the CofC Tennis Center at Patriots Point.
Other than one singles and one doubles match which ended in retirement by the visiting Ragin' Cajuns (4-13), the Cougars (19-5) won the remainder of singles in straight sets and allowed four games or less in each of their doubles pro-sets.
Leading the way was junior Christin Newman, who clinched the fourth deciding match point, with a straight-set victory over ULL's Milou Israel, 6-0, 6-3, at No. 1 singles. Sophomore Kelly Kambourelis, freshman Samantha Maddox, freshman Jenny Falcone and senior Katie Lee also contributed to the sweep.
"They did exactly what we asked them to do today," said CofC Director of Tennis Angelo Anastopoulo in response to the team's 1-1 weekend in Southern Conference play after dropping a 5-2 decision at UNCG on April 7. "They rebounded well by playing with enthusiasm and being more aggressive. We really did a great job. It was one of the better matches we've played this season."
Maddox combined with junior Irene Viana for an 8-4 win at No. 1 doubles followed by Falcone and Kambourelis, 8-3, at No. 2 to claim the doubles point.
It was a homecoming of sorts for former CofC assistant coach Greg Harkins, who returned to the Lowcountry with his first-year Louisiana-Lafayette squad after spending the 2008-2011 seasons with the Cougars.
"Coach Greg (Harkins) has been a special part of the history of our program," Anastopoulo said. "He was a part of two SoCon Championship teams that went on to the NCAAs. It was great having him back in town. He is doing the same thing he helped us do here. His team was a finalist in the Sun Belt Conference last year and I'm sure they will have a great tournament in a couple of weeks. We miss him and are certainly proud of everything he is doing for Louisiana-Lafayette."
CofC will return to action with a mid-week dual match at Furman on Wednesday, April 11 at 3 p.m. (ET) in Greenville, S.C.