GREENVILLE, S.C. -- With the team score knotted at three-all, freshman Karlee Bryde held on for a 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (10-8) victory over Jessica Brumit at flight five to lead the Furman women’s tennis team to a 4-3 win over East Tennessee State  in the Paladins’ season opener Thursday at the Mickel Tennis Center in Greenville, S.C.

The teams opened with doubles play, where ETSU forfeited the flight three match to senior Margaret Boyette and Bryde due to injury.  Freshmen Blair Martin and Ansley Speaks hung on for a 6-4 win over Giulia Andreazza and Jessica Brumit at flight two to clinch the opening point, and the top match between the duo of senior Katherine Oudin and junior Alex Moreno-Kaste and the Bucs’ Lyn Yee Choo and Anna Gerbasi remained unfinished.

The Paladins’ took a 2-0 lead after ETSU forfeited the flight six singles match due to injury.  Choo recorded a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Speaks at number two singles, then Gerbasi defeated Martin, 6-1, 6-2, at flight four to tie the match at 2-2.  Moreno-Kaste gave Furman a 3-2 advantage with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Andreazza in the top singles match, but Salma Dahbi registered a 6-1, 7-5 victory versus Oudin to again tie the contest and set up the decisive flight five match.

Furman (1-0) will travel to Durham, N.C., Sunday to face Duke at 11 a.m.