Wofford 6, Delaware State 1
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Wofford women's tennis team cruised to a 6-1 victory Sunday over Delaware State on a cold and breezy morning. The Terriers improve to 2-1 for the year, while the Hornets drop to 0-3.
In doubles action, Wofford opened strong with an 8-4 victory by Sarah Evans and Guinn Garcia over Delaware State's Maja Banas and Kristina Aleksic at the No. 1 spot. At the No. 2 position, Terriers Othilia Lindqvist and Mareli Sanchez got the better of Brittany Marshall and Marina Sicic (8-6) to win the match and claim the doubles point. Julia Paulson and Lucy Schermerhorn were on their way to victory for Wofford at the No. 3 position, but their match was suspended with the score 7-5.
On the singles side, the Terriers jumped in front quickly with five first set victories in route to four straight set wins. First at the No. 2 spot, Audrey Coventry defeated Aleksic (6-4, 6-4) to extend the Terriers advantage. Next at No. 6, Lindqvist topped Marshall (6-4, 6-1) to push Wofford within one point of victory. Evans clinched the match for the Terriers after her (6-4, 6-1) win over Bajas at No. 1.
Wofford's only setback came at the No. 3 position where Ksenia Kozlova defeated Paulson (6-4, 6-3). The Terriers would wrap up the match with a straight set victory by Garcia over Vanja Andonova (6-2, 6-3) at the No. 4, and a three set win by Sanchez over Sicic (6-3, 1-6, 6-4) at the No. 5.
"The weather conditions were tough and I was so proud of how the team stayed positive," said Head Coach Krissy Hall. "We really played smart out on the courts today."
Wofford returns to the court on Wednesday, February 6, when they make the short trip to face the USC Upstate Spartans. The match is set to begin at 2:00 p.m.
#31 Illinois 4, Furman 3
GREENVILLE, S.C. - The Illinois women's tennis team, ranked 31st nationally, slipped past Furman, 4-3, Sunday at the Mickel Tennis Center in Greenville, S.C. The Fighting Illini (4-4) swept the doubles competition to open the match, then the teams split the singles matches to give Illinois the one point advantage.
In doubles action, Rachael White and Melissa Kopinski combined for an 8-2 win over senior Lauren Kline and freshman Alex Moreno-Kaste at number one, while Breanne Smutko and Audrey O'Connor teamed up to defeat senior Michele Stanford and junior Amanda Murray, 8-4 in the second doubles slot. At number three, Misia Kedzierski and Allison Falkin defeated sophomore Kelly Sullivan and junior Margaret Boyette, 8-3.
Falkin defeated Murray, 6-2, 6-3 at number three singles to give Illinois a 2-0 advantage, before Kline notched a key 6-3, 6-4 win over Kopinski at number one to put the Paladins on the board. Stanford tied the score at two-all with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 come-from-behind victory over Kedzierski in the fourth singles match, but Illinois regained the lead, 3-2, after Smutko beat Boyette, 6-3, 6-2, at number five. White recorded the winning point with a 6-7 (7), 7-5, 6-1 win over junior Katherine Oudin in the second singles match-up, before Sullivan defeated O'Connor, 6-3, 2-6, (11-9) at number six singles.
Furman (1-1) hits the road next weekend. The Paladins will play at Central Florida Saturday at noon before facing Troy in Orlando Sunday at 10 a.m.
No. 68 Auburn 7, Georgia Southern 0
AUBURN, Ala. - No. 68 Auburn proved to be too much for the Georgia Southern Women's Tennis team as the Eagles fell 7-0 on Sunday afternoon at the Yarbrough Tennis Center in Auburn, Ala. The Eagles return from the weekend trip standing 1-2 in the young season. The Tigers improve to 2-1.
The Eagles fell into an early hole, when they lost the doubles point. Freshman Mary Phillips Smith saw her first collegiate action, teaming up with junior Paola Garrido at the number one spot but fell 8-2 against Auburn's Pleun Burgmans and Michala Kucharova. At number two the duo of Emily Flickinger and Jackie Kasler proved to be too strong for Eagle senior-freshman tandem Natalie Maffett and Stephanie Woods, beating them 8-2. Sophomores Alexis Prickett and Jordana Klein put up a good fight against Jen Pfeifler and Paulina Schipper on court three but eventually fell 8-4.
In singles action, Klein had the best look at earning the Eagles a point but ended up falling to Flickinger 7-5, 6-4 at the number two spot. On court three, Smith lost to Kasler 6-1, 6-2, finishing fifth. Woods started of strong in her first set but came up short in the end, falling 6-3, 6-0 on court number four against Ashley Kitchen.
Garrido and freshman Francisca Norregaard both lost their matches 6-1, 6-1 on court one and six against Auburn's Burgmans and Schippers. Maffett lost her singles match 6-1, 6-0 to Maria Cardenas Conti at the number five position.
The Eagles will look to come back next weekend at home when they host Kennesaw State on Saturday, Feb. 9 and Mercer on Sunday, Feb. 10. Both matches start at noon.