Furman 5, Davidson 2
GREENVILLE, S.C. – The 63rd-ranked Furman women’s tennis team clinched the 2014 Southern Conference regular season championship Thursday with a 5-2 win over Davidson at the Mickel Tennis Center in Greenville, S.C.
With the victory, the Paladins completed a perfect 9-0 SoCon season and extended their winning streak to nine matches. The championship, the program’s first since 2009, is Furman’s 18th women’s tennis championship overall.
The Paladins swept the doubles to claim the opening point. Junior Alex Moreno-Kaste and senior Katherine Oudin combined to defeat Brites Moniz-Soares and Elaina Cummer, 8-5, at number one, and the freshman duo of Ansley Speaks and Blair Martin beat Nisha Crouser and Jenna Brunner, 8-1, at flight two. In the third doubles contest, senior Amanda Murray and freshman Karlee Bryde recorded an 8-1 victory over Tamara Hill and Blake Nickles.
Furman honored the team’s three seniors, Oudin, Murray, and Margaret Boyette, between the doubles and singles competition. The Paladin trio combined for a 57-35 overall record and a 33-6 league mark over the past four seasons.
In singles play, the Paladins won four matches to clinch the victory. Speaks held on for a 7-5, 4-6, 1-0 (10-7) advantage versus Moniz-Soares in the top-flighted contest, and junior Kelly Sullivan downed Brunner, 6-0, 6-3, at number four. Boyette registered a 6-3, 6-1 win versus Hill at flight five, and Martin posted a quick 6-1, 6-0 victory over Nickles at number six.
The Wildcats scored at flights two and three. Cummer downed Moreno-Kaste, 7-5, 6-4, at number two, and Crouser came from behind to beat Oudin, 4-6, 6-0, 1-0 (10-8).
Georgia Southern 5, Wofford 2
STATESBORO, Ga. – Trailing 3-1, Catherine Martin had a tight battle with Giulia Riepe at the No. 4 singles position, but was unable to hold on as the Wofford women's tennis team fell to Georgia Southern, 5-2 on Thursday afternoon at the Wallis Tennis Center.
The loss moves the Terriers to 5-14 overall and 1-8 in the Southern Conference, while the Eagles improve to 10-10 overall and 4-5 in conference play with the win.
Georgia Southern took an early 1-0 advantage winning the doubles point and clinching the point at the No. 2 doubles match. After winning on the third court, No. 2 doubles duo of Stephani Woods and Riepe won 8-5 to win the doubles point for the Eagles. Wofford top duo of Sarah Evans and Julia Paulson were winners on the top court defeating Paola Garrido and Caitlin Kitchen 8-5.
In singles play, Kali Karas tied the match up 1-1 winning at the No. 6 singles position for the Terriers. Karas defeated Fran Norregaard easily, 6-0, 6-1, to earn Wofford its first point. Garrido then won on top court against Evans, 6-1, 6-0, to help Georgia Southern regain the lead 2-1.
Jordana Klein then extended the Eagles' lead 3-1, as she defeated Audrey Coventry in a close match 6-4, 6-3. Wofford's Martin was in a battle in the first set against Riepe on the fourth court, but she dropped the set in a close 7-5 decision and Riepe went on to clinch the match for Georgia Southern winning 6-0 in the second set.
Although the Eagles added another point with a win at the No. 5 singles position, Mareli Sanchez played well winning the first set 6-2, and falling in a close second 6-4, forcing a 10-point tiebreak third set. Sanchez fell in the tiebreak 10-6.
Paulson won Wofford's second point of the match as she rallied to defeat Woods in three sets, 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-4).
Elon 6, UNCG 1
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Breaking a two-match losing streak, the Elon University women's tennis team got back in the win column today, April 10, with a 6-1 victory over UNC Greensboro at the UNCG Tennis Courts.
Elon now stands alone in fourth place having entered the match tied with UNCG for the position. Both teams held a record of 4-3 in Southern Conference play entering the day. The two sides could meet again next week in the quarterfinals of the SoCon Tournament, as the No. 4 and 5 seeds play each other Thursday, April 17, at 1 p.m. in Chattanooga, Tenn.
In the match, the Phoenix dropped the doubles point to start the afternoon, then went perfect across the board in singles matches to claim their fifth SoCon victory of the season.
Maria Camara Ruiz clinched the win on court No. 5 in a thrilling 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-2 match. The junior's match was one if four matches that needed all three sets to be decided.
Of the three set matches, Jordan Johnston was first to finish with a 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 6-3 win on court No. 1. She was then followed by Camara Ruiz to clinch the match.
Frida Jansaker and Barbora Lazarova each picked up three set wins on court Nos. 2 and 4, respectively, as Jansaker topped Stephanie Falcon 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 and Lazarova won 7-5, 2-6, 6-4.
Bryn Khoury, who moved up to court No. 3 for the match, brought the Phoenix back tied with the Spartans in winning her singles match 6-2, 6-4 over Kayla Gammie. Tolley Rice then gave Elon the lead for good with a 6-4, 6-2 in on court No. 6 against Amy Ellis.
Appalachian State 4, Gardner-Webb 3
BOONE, N.C. – Mackenzie LaSure picked up a three-set win at No. 2 singles to earn the match-deciding point as Appalachian State University women’s tennis topped Gardner-Webb, 4-3, in its final regular-season match of the season.
The Mountaineers (8-15) dropped the doubles point, but rallied to earn four singles wins, including two three-set thrillers, to down the Bulldogs (9-12) in non-conference action.
Appalachian’s top doubles pairing of LaSure/Gabrielle Wreder earned an easy 8-2 win in doubles play, but the Runnin’ Bulldogs earned victories at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles to take an early 1-0 lead in the match.
Wreder would knot the score at 1-1 when she knocked off her opponent at No. 3 singles (6-3, 6-2) before Jessica Thaggard gave the Apps a 2-1 lead with a 6-2, 6-1 victory at No. 5.
A pair of singles wins by GWU made it 3-2 in favor of the Bulldogs before LaSure and Clare Cox earned wins at their spots in the lineup to earn a hard-fought victory.
Cox was the next-to-last to finish on the day as she won in a three-set contest (6-1, 5-7, 6-0), setting the stage for one of the most exciting individual matches of the season. After winning the first set (6-2), LaSure dropped the second in a tiebreak (6-7 [6-8]), but was able to rally back and win the third set (6-2) to give Appalachian the final point of the day.
The Mountaineers return to action next week when they hit the courts in Chattanooga, Tenn. to take part in the 2014 Southern Conference Championships, which run from April 16-19.
Chattanooga 7, Lee University 0
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s tennis team closed out its regular season home schedule with a 7-0 shutout against Lee today. The Mocs only dropped 10 games in nine wins at the UTC Tennis Courts.
Chattanooga improves to 17-3 overall with today’s non-conference victory. Juniors Kaylene Chadwell and Jovana Pecovski opened with an 8-0 win over Jodie Rice and Krista Good at No. 2. Sophomore Alison Storie and freshman Rachele Gazzola clinched the team point with an 8-1 win against Kelsey Lovingood and Annie Sandberg at No. 3.
Senior Alexa Flynn put the Mocs up 2-0 with a (6-0, 6-0) shutout over Maclain Yowarsky at No. 2. Sophomore Kayla Jones followed that with a win at No. 1 and junior Claire Mulyadi secured the team outcome with her victory at No. 3. Storie, Gazzola and Pecovski also had singles wins in today’s match.
The Mocs head to Samford on Saturday for the final regular season match of the season. Both Chattanooga and the Bulldogs are both 7-1 in Southern Conference play and the winner will finish no worse than second in the SoCon race.