Chattanooga 6, UAB 1
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s tennis team picked up a solid non-conference win with a 6-1 victory over UAB on the UTC Tennis Courts this afternoon. The Mocs won the doubles point, and three singles matches in straight sets, to improve to 7-2. The Blazers dropped to 4-6 overall.
“UAB came out with a lot of fight,” stated UTC head coach Jeff Clark. “They played very well in singles. I felt like we took their best shot and really showed a lot of heart today.”
Chattanooga won the doubles point for the second straight match and the fifth time this season. Junior Kaylene Chadwell and senior Alexa Flynn scored an 8-4 win over Rachel Daniell and Elaine Simon at No. 1. Sophomores Kayla Jones and Katie Polk also had an 8-4 win over Pardis Kianoush and Paula Castro at No. 2.
“Getting Polk healthy has really strengthened our doubles,” added Clark. “She’s been one of our top doubles players the last couple of years. Last year and this fall, she and Kayla Jones make a formidable team. Kaylene Chadwell and Alexa Flynn have had some success in the past. Then when you put Kelsey Coots and Claire Mulyadi at three, I feel really good about our doubles right now.”
Chadwell made it 2-0 when Amy Lowther was force to retire at No. 3. The Mocs went up 3-0 following Flynn’s (6-4 6-1) win over Castro at No. 4. UAB got on the board next with Kianoush’s (6-3, 6-4) win over sophomore Kelsey Coots at No. 3.
Junior Clarie Mulyadi, the reigning SoCon Player of the Week, clinched the match with her (6-4, 6-3) win over Catherine Rangon at No. 5. Mulyadi improved to 7-1 in the spring and won the clinching match for the third straight dual.
Polk and Jones both scored wins, but had to come back from a set down in each match. Jones iproved to 14-7 overall with her (6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-4) win over Daniel at No. 1. Polk scored a (3-6, 6-4, 6-4) win over Simon at No. 6 in her first singles action of the spring.
East Carolina 4, Appalachian State 3
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University women’s tennis lost for the first time at home this season when it suffered a 4-3 defeat at the hands of East Carolina on Friday at Yonahlossee Racquet Club.
The Mountaineers (3-5) battled hard all day to secure the win against the Pirates (4-5) and took an early lead by winning the doubles point, but could not hang on in singles play as ECU previaled.
Appalachian’s No. 1 duo of Gabrielle Wreder/Mackenzie LaSure were the first to finish with an 8-5 win, with Megan Mullen/Clare Cox close behind, grabbing an 8-5 at No. 2 doubles.
The No. 3 doubles team of Olivia Isbey/McKayla Zupan trailed 5-6, but their match went unfinished as Appalachian had already secured the doubles point.
The Mountaineers continued to play close matches in singles play. LaSure snagged the No. 2 singles match 6-3, 6-2 while Wreder fell 6-2, 6-2 at No. 3. Brianna Armellino won her match at No. 4 by a final of 6-2, 6-2.
The No. 1 singles match was the closest of the day, as Cox battled the Pirates’ Michelle Castro for three complete sets. Cox fell to Castro by a final of 5-7, 6-3, 6-3. Jessica Thaggard also took her opponent to three close sets, but lost as well by a final of 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, allowing East Carolina to tie the match up at 3-3.
The neck-and-neck play continued into the final and deciding No. 6 match between Zupan and ECU’s Dana Gray. Zupan lost by a final of 4-6 6-3, 6-2 to give the final point and match win to the Pirates.
Missouri 7, Wofford 0
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford women’s tennis team fell to the University of Missouri Tigers of the Southeastern Conference, 7-0, on Friday morning at the John E. Reeves Tennis Center.
The loss moves the Terriers to 4-4 overall and the win for the Tigers improves their record to 4-6.
Missouri gained the early 1-0 advantage winning the doubles point against Wofford. Cassidy Spearman and Tracy Dong won the first doubles match, 6-1, at the No. 3 position. Kelli Hine and Madison Rhyner clinched the point winning the No. 2 doubles, 6-2.
In singles play, the Tigers swept all six singles matches to win, 7-0. Hine won the first singles point at No. 2 winning, 6-1, 6-0, and Rhyner won the second point, 6-3, 6-1, at the No. 4 position. Freshman Kalli Karas battled hard at the No. 5 position, but Spearman clinched the match for the Tigers as she won, 6-3, 6-3.
Sophomore Mareli Sanchez also played well at No. 6, but lost in a well-played match that was the final singles match to finish, losing to Tracy Dong, 6-2, 6-3.
The Terriers are back in action on Saturday, March 8, when they travel to Western Carolina to take on the Catamounts in their Southern Conference opener at 12 p.m. The team then turns around on Sunday, March 9, to host Davidson College in their Southern Conference home opener at the John E. Reeves Tennis Center, which starts at 1 p.m.