Chattanooga 7, Western Carolina 0
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The Western Carolina women’s tennis team was swept Wednesday afternoon at the Catamount Athletic Complex’s tennis courts by Chattanooga, 7-0, in a Southern Conference match.
The Mocs earned a clean sweep in the doubles matches as UTC’s Kayla Jones and Alison Storie defeated Nicole Nielly and Sara Ruiz Pajares, 8-4, at the No. 2 position. The Mocs clinched the point with an 8-5 win by Kelsey Coots and Claire Mulyadi over Megan McLinden and Erin Maguire in the No. 3 match. In the No. 1 doubles match, Kaylene Chadwell and Alexa Flynn beat WCU’s Stacia Kissell and Shannon Bettiol, 8-5.
The Mocs clamied their first singles match at the No.5 match when Mulyadi defeated Nielly, 6-0, 6-1, and picked up their third point of the match at the No. 2 position when Chadwell topped Bettiol, 6-2, 6-0.
WCU’s Ruiz Pajares had a solid match, but could not overcome Coots in the No. 4 match as she fell, 6-4, 6-3, and Maguire was solid in the first set slipping 6-4, but UTC’s Storie rallied in the second set claiming the match with a 6-1 win.
Kissell, who had strung together the longest winning streak in WCU women’s tennis program history with 11 straight and the longest SoCon streak at five wins, lost her first match since February 7 at UNC Wilmington. Kissell was topped Kayla Jones in back-and-forth match, 6-4, 7-6 (9-7). Kissell falls to just 13-2 in the No. 1 singles’ matches on the season and has more wins than any Catamount player in a single-season from available records starting in 1998.
Furman 7, Wofford 0
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Furman women’s tennis team, ranked 64th nationally, maintained a firm hold on the Pinson Cup with a 7-0 win over Wofford Wednesday at the Reeves Tennis Center in Spartanburg, S.C. With the win, the Paladins extended their winning streak to six matches and remained unbeaten in Southern Conference play
Bobby and Dixie Pinson, beloved friends of both the Furman and Wofford programs, have given the trophy and a generous donation in honor of the rivalry between the two schools. The trophy stays with the winning school until the winner of the next season’s match is determined, and the Paladins have been awarded the trophy each year since its inception in 2005.
Furman swept the doubles matches to clinch the opening point. Freshmen Blair Martin and Ansley Speaks moved into the top flight and defeated Sarah Evans and Julia Paulson, 8-2, while seniors Katherine Oudin and Margaret Boyette teamed up for an 8-4 victory over Catherine Martin and Mareli Sanchez at flight two. In the number three match-up, freshman Karlee Bryde and senior Amanda Murray topped Emily Erickson and Kalli Karas, 8-0.
The Paladins won all six singles matches, five in straight-sets. Speaks posted a 6-2, 6-1 advantage over Evans at flight one, while Oudin came from behind to beat Audrey Coventry, 6-7(1), 6-0, 1-0(10-7) at number two. Bryde registered a 6-0, 6-3 win against Paulson in the number three contest, and Martin bested Sanchez, 6-1, 6-3, at number four. In the flight five match, Murray defeated Taylor Carlson, 6-3, 6-4, and Boyette boasted a 6-0, 6-3 win versus Erickson at number six to complete the sweep.
UNCG 6, Charlotte 1
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG women’s tennis won five of six singles matches to easily defeat in-state foe Charlotte, 6-1, Wednesday at the UNCG Tennis Courts.
UNCG improved to 7-9 on the season while Charlotte falls to 5-11.
The Spartans took a 1-0 lead after winning two of the three doubles matches. At No. 3 doubles, Stephanie Falcon and Amy Ellis defeated Natsuko Takayanagi and Jessica Perez, 8-1. The Spartans clinched the doubles point with an 8-2 victory at No. 1 doubles as Devon Sutherland and Kayla Gammie defeated Tyler Baker and Lisa Grosselius.
In the final doubles match, Yasmin Franco and Jamie Grinberg fell in a tiebreaker 8-7 (11-9) against Macy Vonderschmidt and Victoria Pahlett at No. 2 doubles.
In singles, Falcon won in straight sets against Pahlett, 6-4, 6-0 at No. 1 singles to give UNCG a 2-0 lead. Sutherland made it 3-0 after taking down Perez, 6-4, 6-1 at No. 6 singles.
UNCG clinched the match after Gammie won a close third set match against Grosselius, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 at No. 2 singles.
Takayanagi earned Charlotte’s only point with a third set win against Grinberg, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 at No. 4 singles. Ellis won a close third set tiebreaker over Baker, 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-2). Ellis rallied to win the second set, 7-5 and won the third set 7-2 in the tiebreaker.
In the final match, Franco was able to come away with a 4-6, 7-6, 10-3 victory against Vonderschmidt at No. 3 singles.
The Spartans return to action on the road against Chattanooga and Samford this weekend.
Samford 7, Lipscomb 0
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University women’s tennis team extended its home winning streak to 11-consecutive matches Wednesday as the Bulldogs breezed to a 7-0 nonconference victory over the Lipscomb Lady Bisons in a midweek contest held at the Samford Tennis Center.
Samford (14-2), which is in the midst of its best start in school history, owns a 9-0 record at home this season and has not been defeated at the Samford Tennis Center since March 23, 2013. The Bulldogs have been triumphant in 12 of their last 13 outings and both of their losses this season have come against nationally-ranked opponents.
With its 7-0 loss Wednesday, Lipscomb (9-7) moved to 4-5 when playing on the road this season. The Lady Bisons own a 2-2 record in Atlantic Sun play in 2014.
Samford swept all three doubles matches versus Lipscomb and improved its sterling overall record to 36-10 in the category this season.
In singles play Wednesday, the Bulldogs’ Kristin Lewis, Yasmeen Ebada, Jessica Northcutt, Emily Mallory and Lauren Cabellero all registered quick straight-set victories. With her triumph on court No. 5, Mallory extended her team-leading winning streak to five-consecutive matches. On the season, Samford’s senior native of Louisville, Ky., owns a stellar 11-2 singles record.
Additionally, the Bulldogs’ Ebada and Lewis both extended their winning streaks to three straight matches. Lewis tallied her 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory on court No. 2 to move to 10-6 this year, while Ebada defeated Lipscomb’s Laura Kent on court No. 3, 6-2, 6-0, to improve her team-best record in dual-match play to a near-perfect 14-1.
Samford’s Stephanie N’tcha notched a key victory in the closest match of the day Wednesday. In the No. 1 singles contest, the Bulldogs’ talented junior native of Abomey-Calavi, Benin, dropped her first set to the Lady Bisons’ Deahna Welcher, 6-0, but then charged back to win the next two frames, 6-3, 6-2, to secure Samford’s 7-0 team sweep.
Already this season, the Bulldogs have tallied five 7-0 lopsided victories.