Chattanooga 7, UT-Martin 0
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's tennis team continued its unprecedented start to the 2013 spring season with a 7-0 blanking of UT-Martin. Playing on the outdoor UTC Tennis Courts for the first time this spring, the Lady Mocs improved to 6-0 with their school-record fifth consecutive shutout.
UTC is off to its best start since 1991. The Lady Mocs have been dominating opponents, only allowing one point in the first six contests. Chattanooga is 35-1 in singles and has lost a total of six sets in those 36 matches. UTC is also an impressive 15-3 in doubles.
The Skyhawks were picked second in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll and have advanced to the tournament championship in each of the last two seasons. However, they fall to 0-2 in the spring with today's loss.
"It was a solid effort," stated UTC women's tennis head coach Jeff Clark. "We played really well in singles. We were pushed in a few spots, but responded well. I think we definitely got better today."
The Lady Mocs jumped out to a 1-0 lead by winning the doubles point for the sixth-straight match. UTC won two of three doubles, led by freshmen Kelsey Coots and Kayla Jones' 8-2 win over Ivon Simic and Anna Marie Herbold at No. 1. Coots and Jones improve to 5-1 at No. 1 with their fifth-straight doubles win.
Senior Jenna Nurik and sophomore Kaylene Chadwell also improved to 5-1 in the spring with an 8-2 win over Katie McCall and Johanie van Zyl at No. 2. Nurik and Chadwell are 9-2 overall as a doubles tandem this season.
Coots breezed through her singles match at No. 4 and was first off the court with a (6-1, 6-0) win over van Zyl. Coots improved to 6-0 in singles play and has only dropped five games in her last two outings combined.
Nurik gave the Lady Mocs a 3-0 lead with her (6-1, 6-2) win over Simic at No. 1. Nurik, the reigning Southern Conference Player of the Week, is 6-0 in singles action. Chadwell clinched the match with a (6-0, 6-2) win over Herbold at No. 2.
Jones, sophomore Claire Mulyadi and freshman Katie Polk also won in singles action today. Mulyadi bounced back from an illness earlier in the week to score a three-set win over Alice Laing (6-1, 3-6, 1-0 (10-5)) and remain unbeaten at 6-0.
Appalachian State 6, North Carolina Central 1
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State women's tennis improved to 5-1 after handing North Carolina Central University a 6-1 decision on Sunday afternoon at Yonahlossee Racquet Club in Boone, N.C.
The Mountaineers (5-1) swept through doubles action to capture the first point and move ahead of the Eagles (0-2).
Duo Ellie Linsell and Mackenzie LaSure defeated NCCU's Ekaterina Nekrasova and Rebecca Wood (8-2) in No. 1 doubles, while Jennifer Ansari and Clare Cox finished off Mia Ramic and Aissa Muamba in the No. 2 spot (8-6). In No. 3 doubles, Gabriela Celi and Brianna Armellino moved past Oleysa Palko and Brianna Gatson (8-3) to earn Appalachian's first point.
The Mountaineers continued the swing moving into singles competition, with Linsell defeating Palko in No. 1 flight (6-2, 6-3), followed by Cox's win at No. 2 over Nekrasova (6-2, 6-2). Ansari rounded out the top three with a victory over Wood at the No. 3 spot (6-1, 6-2).
NCCU would earn a small victory on the afternoon with Muambua's defeat of Brianna Armellino in No. 4 singles (6-4, 6-2, 10-7), but Appalachian would control the remainder of the matches. Jessica Thaggard handled Ramic in No. 5 flight (6-1, 6-0), along with Carson Shell, who locked down the No. 6 position in her shutout against Julia Aguilar (6-0, 6-0).
Up next, Appalachian will head down the mountain as they travel to Charlotte for a Monday matchup. The Mountaineers will face UNC Charlotte on Feb. 18 at 2:30 p.m.
NC State 6, College of Charleston 1
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - North Carolina State remained undefeated on the season with a 6-1 road victory over the No. 67-ranked College of Charleston women's tennis team on Sunday afternoon at the CofC Tennis Center at Patriots Point.
The Wolfpack (4-0), out of the ACC, rolled to their fourth consecutive win by claiming the doubles point and five of the six singles matches in straight sets.
For the second consecutive day, the Cougars (3-2) fell injury prone as sophomore Grace Baker and senior Christin Newman had to retire their match in the first game of No. 3 doubles when Baker was sidelined with a serious knee injury.
"After 22 years of coaching, you learn how to deal with different types of situations," CofC Director of Tennis Angelo Anastopoulo said. "This is something we will have to learn to deal with - back-to-back severe injuries during the match on consecutive days. My heart goes out to Grace and how hard she has worked to get back to the great tennis she is playing right now. Having to recover from a possible severe knee injury, I know she will get through it and come back stronger and better."
The top duo of Tatiana Illova and Joelle Kissell of NC State defeated sophomore Samantha Maddox and senior Irene Viana, 8-4, to secure the doubles point and early lead.
The Cougars' lone victory of the match came from freshman Brooke McAmis, who rattled off two love sets against NC State's Nicole Martinez, 6-0, 6-0, to the tie the match at one-all at No. 2 singles. Rachael James-Baker turned in the deciding point of the match with a 6-4, 6-3 decision over sophomore Jenny Falcone at the No. 4 line.
CofC is currently in the midst of playing a tough four-match stretch in which three are BCS opponents including a 4-3 comeback win over Kansas out of the Big 12 Conference on Feb. 16. They will travel to South Carolina out of the SEC on Feb. 23.
"We did a good job of competing today, but quite frankly, NC State competed harder than we did," Anastopoulo said. "That's something we are continuing to work on. They were the better team today. We will keep looking to get better. We have our first conference match of the season on Wednesday at Georgia Southern. It's a difficult place to play. They will have a good crowd and we will have to be at our best."
Up next, the Cougars will open Southern Conference play on the road at Georgia Southern on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 2:30 p.m. (ET) in Statesboro, Ga.