Elon 7, Georgia Southern 0
ELON, N.C. – Stepping into Southern Conference action for the first time this season, the Elon University women's tennis team breezed past Georgia Southern on Saturday, March 1, with a 7-0 win at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.
Frida Jansaker and Maria Camara Ruiz set the tone for the afternoon early in doubles with an 8-0 sweep of Stephanie Woods and Guilia Riepe on court No. 2. Shortly after, Jordan Johnston and Barbora Lazarova earned the doubles point for the Phoenix with a 8-4 win on court No. 1.
Bryn Khoury got off to a fast start for the Phoenix as singles started in beating Riepe on court No. 4, 6-1, 6-4, to give Elon a 2-0 lead. She was followed by Jansaker quickly dispatching Caitlin Kitchen on court No. 2 by a score of 6-1, 6-2.
Elon clinched the win on court No. 3 where Lazarova topped Woods 6-3, 6-4 to pick up their fifth-straight win after starting the season 0-4.
The Phoenix continued its roll when Johnston topped Paolo Garrido with a 7-5, 6-2 win on court No. 1. Taylor Casey followed the senior with a 7-6 (10-8), 6-3 win on court No. 6 to give Elon a 6-0 lead on the Eagles.
Tolley Rice finished the sweep for the Phoenix with a come-from-behind win on court No. 5. The freshman lost in the first set to Klein before taking the second and ultimately the super tiebreaker, 10-8. The win moved the freshman to 5-0 for her collegiate career thus far.
Samford 4, Appalachian State 3
BOONE, N.C. – Appalachian State University women’s tennis lost its second-straight match as it fell by a 4-3 final to Samford in its Southern Conference opener on Saturday at Yonahlossee Racquet Club.
The Mountaineers (3-6, 0-1 SoCon) fought from behind in their first conference match of the season as the Bulldogs (6-1, 1-0) took the early lead by inning the doubles point before going on to win three of the six singles matches.
Appalachian’s No. 1 duo of Gabrielle Wreder/Mackenzie LaSure was knocked off first by Samford as it lost 8-3 before the No. 3 doubles team of Olivia Isbey/McKayla Zupan fell 8-2.
The No. 2 doubles team of Clare Cox/Megan Mullen trailed 7-3, but the match went unfinished as Samford had already secured the doubles point.
Despite its best efforts to rally in singles play, Appalachian was unable to grab four points in the remaining six matches. Yasmeen Ebada defeated Wreder at the No. 3 singles 6-3, 6-2 while LaSure lost to Stephanie N’tcha 6-4, 6-3
Cox was the first to win a point for Appalachian as she defeated Kristin Lewis 6-1, 6-3 at No. 1. The Bulldogs’ Lauren Cabellero defeated Zupan at the No. 6 spot 6-3, 6-3 to secure the match win for Samford.
The Mountaineers played out their final two matches as Brianna Armellino snagged the win at No. 4, winning 6-4, 6-4 against Jessica Northcutt while Jessica Thaggard battled hard to come back from an early deficit to earn a tiebreaker. She carried her momentum into the extra-set where she won, finishing 4-6, 7-6, 10-7.
Furman 4, Winthrop 3
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Freshman Karlee Bryde recorded a thrilling three-set 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Tijana Uzelac at flight four, breaking a three-all tie and leading Furman to a 4-3 win over Winthrop Saturday at the Mickel Tennis Center in Greenville, S.C.
In doubles play, the teams split the opening matches, as Winthrop’s Tijana Uzelac and Beth Williamson defeated junior Kelly Sullivan and Bryde, 8-5, at flight three, then Paladin freshmen Ansley Speaks and Blair Martin combined for an 8-6 win versus Ekin Gunaysu and Caitlin Cridland at number two. Alice Garcia and Andressa Garcia clinched the point for the Eagles, beating junior Alex Moreno-Kaste and senior Katherine Oudin, 8-5, in the top match-up.
Winthrop took a 2-0 lead after Andressa Garcia recorded a 6-3, 6-2 win over Moreno-Kaste at flight one singles, but senior Margaret Boyette put the Paladins on the board with a 6-3, 6-0 victory versus Williamson at number six.
Furman tied the match at two-all when Speaks beat Alice Garcia, 6-0, 7-5, at flight two, then Sullivan gave the Paladins a 3-2 advantage with a 6-4, 6-3 defeat of Gunaysu at number five. At flight five, Cridland knotted the match at 3-apiece after tallying a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Oudin, setting up the decisive flight four contest.
Furman (5-3) is back in action on Sunday, when the Paladins entertain UCF at noon.
Florida Atlantic 6, Davidson 1
BOCA RATON, Fla. — In its first of four matches during its trip to the state of Florida, Davidson was defeated 6-1 at Florida Atlantic Saturday morning in a first-time matchup in women’s tennis.
The lone team point was scored by freshman Jenna Brunner, who took a 6-5 singles win at No. 5.
Elaina Cummer and Nisha Crouser each pushed their matches to a super tie-breaker after splitting their first two sets at No. 2 and 3 positions. Cummer won her second set, 6-4, after dropping a 6-1 decision in the first set. She then fell 10-2 in the super tie-breaker.
Crouser fell in her first set at No 3 by the score of 6-3, but regrouped with a 6-4 win, before falling 10-5 in the super tie-breaker.
Seeing her three-match win streak come to an end was Brites Moniz-Soares at No. 1, who fell 6-3, 6-3. The senior also saw her three-match win streak in doubles halted when her and Cummer fell 8-5 at the top spot.
Davidson (4-6) will also play Barry, Detroit and Xavier during its time in Florida.
The Wildcats continue their stay in Florida with a match at Barry in Miami Shores, Fla., Sunday, March 2, at 10 a.m.