UNCG 5, Appalachian State 2
BOONE, N.C. – Despite grabbing a win at No. 1 singles, Appalachian State University women’s tennis was unable to overcome a strong UNCG squad as it fell, 4-3, in a Southern Conference contest on Thursday at Yonahlossee Racquet Club.
The Mountaineers (4-14, 0-5 SoCon) dropped their eighth-straight contest while the Spartans (5-8, 3-1) won for just the second time in six matches.
UNCG set the tone early as it cruised to a doubles point with an 8-4 victory at No. 1 doubles and an 8-2 win at the No. 2 spot. Appalachian’s team of Brianna Armellino/Megan Mullen led 5-4 at No. 3 doubles, but the match went unfinished as the doubles point had already been decided.
In singles play, the Mountaineers showed signs of life early as Clare Cox picked up a 6-4, 7-5 win at No. 1, but the Spartans were able to stem the tide and earned straight-set wins at No. 2 and No. 4 to grab a 3-1 lead.
Gabrielle Wreder picked up a first-set win at the No. 3 spot, but UNCG’s Stephanie Falcon rallied and earned a 6-3 win in the second set before ultimately taking the match with a 6-2 win in the third and decisive set to give the Spartans the winning point.
Despite UNCG earning the decisive point, the two squads finished off singles play as Mullen ave Appalachian a point with a win at No. 6 (6-4, 4-6, 10-8) and Jessica Thaggard dropped her match at No. 5 in three stes (7-6 (7-4), 5-7, 10-7)
Presbyterian 4, Wofford 3
CLINTON, S.C. – The Blue Hose came back to score four unanswered points and clinched the match at the four-hour mark on the top court as the Wofford women’s tennis team fell to Presbyterian College, 4-3, Thursday afternoon at the Templeton Tennis Courts. The top court match featuring Wofford’s Sarah Evans and Presbyterian’s Greer Ransom went to three sets and Greer clinched the match in a close third set.
With the loss, the Terriers fall to 5-9 overall on the season and the Blue Hose improve to 8-11-1 overall with the victory.
Wofford rallied in doubles from a one-match deficit, winning the final two matches and taking a 1-0 lead. After losing the doubles point at the No. 3 match, Catherine Martin and Mareli Sanchez won the No. 2 doubles match 8-5 to tie up the point, and Julia Paulson and Evans clinched the point winning on the top court 8-6.
Paulson got things started in singles at the No. 3 position giving the Terriers a 2-0 lead in the match, defeating Caroline Ferrari, 6-1, 6-0. Taylor Carlson extended Wofford’s lead 3-0 winning the No. 6 singles match against Lucia Leahy, 6-1, 6-4 putting the Terriers in a commanding lead.
The Blue Hose began their comeback at the No. 5 singles match. Caroline deLoach won in a tight three set match with Sanchez, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, that cut into the Terriers lead 3-1. Patricia Alves brought Presbyterian within one at 3-2 as she won on the second court in two close sets, 7-5, 7-5. Courtney Gardiner then battled in three sets tying the match at 3-3 as she defeated Martin 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 on the fourth court.
The match came down to the top court as Ransom had to battle with Evans in three sets, including a close third set. Ransom won the first set 6-2 but Evans stormed back winning 6-1 in the second. In the final stanza, Ransom came out on top in a tight battle 7-5, clinching the victory for the Blue Hose.
The Wofford women’s tennis team returns home to begin a four-match homestand on Saturday as they host Chattanooga in a Southern Conference match at noon at the John E. Reeves Tennis Center. Saturday will also be a Campus Kids’ Day event. The Terriers will then host Samford on Sunday for another noon start.