UNCG 4, Elon 3
ELON, N.C. - The Elon University women's tennis team's comeback in singles play fell just short on Thursday, March 14, at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center, as the Phoenix dropped a 4-3 decision to the visiting UNCG Spartans.
The 73rd-ranked Phoenix falls to 11-3 (1-2 Southern Conference) with the setback, while UNCG improves to 7-4 (4-0 Southern Conference) with the win.
After the Spartans won the doubles point to take an early 1-0 match lead over the Phoenix, Elon needed to win four of six singles matches to secure the win.
Frida Jansaker tied the match at 1-all after quickly defeating Dilara Yurtkuran, 6-2, 6-2, at No. 2 singles. Jansaker improves to 13-3 on the year with the win.
Maria Camara Ruiz gave Elon a 2-1 lead at No. 6 singles, as the sophomore defeated Soumeya Anane in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3. Camara Ruiz improves to 8-2 with the victory.
After the Spartans won the next two singles matches to take a 3-2 lead, Bryn Khoury brought the match back to even at No. 4 singles after battling UNCG's Anette Rios to a 7-6, 7-6, win. Khoury has won her last three singles matches and improves to 13-3 on the year with the win.
But the Spartans took the match win at No. 1 singles after Niltooli Wilkins won a hard-fought battle against Elon's Jordan Johnston, 7-6 (8-6), 7-5.
Davidson 4, East Carolina 3
DAVIDSON, N.C. - For the second time this year, Nisha Crouser clinched the winning team point with a come-from-behind third-set victory and Davidson upset No. 72 East Carolina with a 4-3 win Thursday afternoon in women's tennis action on the hard courts at Covington Tennis Courts.
Crouser came back from a 5-3 deficit in the third set, to earn a 7-5 victory at No. 3 singles over Yilian Zhang. The junior split her first two sets with Zhang, 6-4 and 6-7, but scored the last 12 points in a row to win her team-best sixth in a row. Crouser improved to 6-2 on the season.
Davidson as a team ran its winning streak to four straight, improving to 7-2 on the season. It's the best start by the Wildcats since opening 7-2 to start the 2010 campaign.
The Pirates (7-4), ranked for the first time since 2008, are one of six Conference USA teams listed among the top 75 teams in the nation - joining Tulsa (24), Rice (29), Memphis (31), SMU (48) and Tulane (50).
The Wildcats started the match in impressive fashion, sweeping through the doubles. It marked the fourth time this year they have swept all three positions. The 'Cats took victories of 8-5, 8-7 and 8-6 to grab the first team point.
The No. 1 team of Elaina Cummer and Brites Moniz-Soares took home their fifth win in a row, improving to 5-1. Elise Held and Catherine Wood remained perfect at 3-0 on the year.
Joining Crouser in helping Davidson seal up the team win with singles victories were Moniz-Soares and Frizzi Bschorer at No. 1 and 6 spots, respectively. Moniz-Soares moved to three 3-2 on the season with a well-played 6-4, 0-6, 6-3 triumph over Neena Wanko.
Fellow Classmate Bschorer gave the junior class a third win with a 6-3, 7-6 triumph at No. 6 and remained unbeaten on the year at 4-0.
Davidson wraps up its nine-match homestand with a Southern Conference opener against Georgia Southern Saturday, March 16 at 11 a.m.
UNC Wilmington 7, Appalachian State 0
WILMINGTON, N.C. - Appalachian State women's tennis dropped it's second straight loss, 7-0, to UNC Wilmington on Thursday afternoon at the UNCW Courts.
The Mountaineers (9-4, 2-0 SoCon), who earned a Top 75 ITA ranking for the first time in program history, fell victim to a Seahawk (8-5) sweep.
UNCW breezed through doubles competition, posting 8-1 and 8-2 victories at No's. 1 and 3, respectively. An unfinished match between Appalachian's Jennifer Ansari/Clare Cox and Alyssa Ritchie/Angie Sekely credited the Seahawks with a point at No. 2 to sweep the doubles decision.
The Seakhaws continued the momentum moving into singles play, finishing off five-of-six matches in two-sets. Ellie Linsell was unable to overcome Sekeley at No. 1 (6-4, 7-5), while Cox dropped a 6-3, 6-1 match to Christina Riley. UNCW would close out two-set victories at No's. 3, 5, and 6 flights, while Appalachian senior Jennifer Ansari took No. 4 to three sets against Olga Blank, eventually falling in a tiebreak (5-7, 6-0, 1-0 (10-4)).
The Mountaineers will move forward tomorrow, as they seek a win in Buies Creek, N.C. against Campbell University at 2 p.m.
Gardner-Webb 4, Western Carolina 3
CULLOWHEE, N.C.-The Western Carolina women's tennis team lost to Gardner-Webb after a hard fought match on Thursday, by a score of 4-3. It is the third straight match that the Catamounts have fallen by a single point.
In doubles, Stacia Kissell and Shannon Bettiol defeated GWU's Erica White and Jenny Lunde 8-5 at the No. 1 position, while WCU's Nicole Niely and Karen Jimenez lost in the No. 2 spot 8-4. Sara Ruiz and Erin Maguire won by default in No. 3 doubles.
It was a fight to the end in singles play as Shannon Bettiol and Sara Ruiz both lost during tie break sets. Bettiol, at the No. 5 position, lost to GWU's Rokia Sacko (7-6, 6-4), while Ruiz lost to GWU's Lunde at the No. 3. Spot (6-2, 5-7, 7-6).
In the No. 2 singles match, senior Karen Jiménez won her first set, 6-1, before a knee injury caused her to retire.
Other scores for singles were GWU's Erica White defeated Stacia Kissell 6-1, 6-3 at the No. 1 position and Nicole Nielly defeated Valeria Popkp (GWU) 6-4, 6-2 in the No. 4 match.
The Catamounts return to action this weekend with two home matches at the Catamount Athletic Complex. The first takes place on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. as WCU welcomes conference-foe Elon with the Purple and Gold taking on East Tennessee State Sunday at 1:00 p.m.