Elon 5, College of Charleston 2
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – For the first time in the school’s Division I era, the Elon University women’s tennis team came away victorious against College of Charleston, as the 68th-ranked Phoenix rallied for a 5-2 win over the 75th-ranked Cougars on Wednesday, March 27, at Patriots Point.
Elon improves to 15-3 overall and 4-2 in Southern Conference play with the win, its fourth straight. The Phoenix went into today 0-13 against College of Charleston since making the transition to the Division I ranks.
With the match tied at 2-all, both squads needed two more points to clinch the match win. Bryn Khoury pushed the Phoenix out to a 3-2 lead with a three-set win against Jenny Falcone. Khoury won the first set, 6-3, but fell in the second, 6-1. In the third, the junior rallied for a 6-1 win to give her team momentum.
Jordan Johnston clinched the match for the maroon and gold at No. 1, rallying for yet another three-set win against this week’s SoCon Player of the Week, Christin Newman. Johnston won the first set, 6-1, but fell in the second, 6-3. In the third, the junior from Snellville, Ga., came back strong with a 6-1 decision to seal it.
Johnston and Frida Jansaker were the first team to finish doubles play, as Elon’s top tandem defeated College of Charleston’s Irene Viana and Katherine Schofield, 8-3, to move their season record to 16-2. But the Cougars won the doubles point after claiming victories at No. 2 and 3.
Jansaker evened the match at 1-all after the junior registered a 6-4, 6-1, victory in straight sets against Kelly Kambourelis at No. 2 singles. Jansaker improves to 16-3 on the year with the win.
After the Cougars retained the lead with a win at No. 3, the Phoenix tied the match at 2-all with a win at No. 5 by Barbora Lazarova. Lazarova claimed a 6-4, 6-2, decision versus CofC’s Samantha Maddox to improve her season record to 12-7.
Elon grinded out the next two points for the win, its first in 13 tries against the Cougars.
Maria Camara Ruiz won by retirement at No. 6 for the Phoenix. She split the first two sets with CofC’s Schofield.
Furman 4, Appalachian State 3
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State women’s tennis dropped its second Southern conference match this season falling to Furman University, 4-3, on Wednesday night at Yonahlossee Racquet Club.
The Mountaineers saw their overall record drop to 11-6, while holding a 3-2 SoCon mark.
The Paladins (9-6, 5-0 SoCon) began the match by taking the doubles competition to capture the first team point.
The Apps fought through doubles play, but could not overcome the Paladins as Appalachian’s No. 1 team of Ellie Linsell and Mackenzie LaSure fell 8-6 to Lauren Kline and Alex Moreno-Kaste, while the No. 3 tandem of Gabriela Celi and Brianna Armellino dropped an 8-3 final to Margaret Boyette and Kelly Sullivan. The second match went unfinished.
Ellie Linsell posted a win at No. 1 singles. The senior topped Lauren Kline in a pair of 7-5, 7-5 sets to move to 13-3 on the season.
Clare Cox saw her three-match win streak come to an end in a three-set defeat (6-1, 4-6, 6-3) at No. 2, marking the sophomore’s first league loss of the season.
Armellino fell 6-2, 6-3 to Katherine Oudin at No. 3 singles, while Jennifer Ansari dropped a 6-3, 6-4 loss in No. 4 flight to Michele Stanford.
Appalachian picked up a pair of wins in the final two matches of the day, with Jessica Thaggard defeating Amanda Murray in a two set tiebreak (7-6 (4), 7-6 (6)) at No. 5, while Celi bested Kelly Sullivan, 6-1, 6-4.