Samford 7, Jacksonville State 0
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The No. 73-ranked Samford University women’s tennis team extended its school-record home winning streak to 18-consecutive matches Wednesday by blanking the Jacksonville State Gamecocks, 7-0, in a non-conference contest held at the Samford Tennis Center.
With the win, Samford (3-2) tallied its third-consecutive victory of the season and remained undefeated at home since March 23, 2013.
Jacksonville State (1-4) suffered its second straight 7-0 loss Wednesday after falling by a similar score at South Alabama on Friday.
The Bulldogs garnered the doubles point with quick wins on courts No. 1 and No. 2. In the No. 1 singles contest, Samford’s combination of Stephanie N’tcha and Carita Moolman cruised past the Gamecocks’ pairing of Sadey St. Amant and Genevie Ulanday, 6-1.
Similarly on court No. 2, the Bulldogs also earned a 6-1 victory as Yasmeen Ebada and Jessica Northcutt defeated Jacksonville State’s Olivia Nguyen and Danielle Kerindi.
Samford’s tandem of Ebada and Northcutt improved to 4-1 on the season with their dominant win on court No. 2.
In singles play, the Bulldogs were triumphant on all six courts, including straight-set victories in five of the contests.
Samford’s N’tcha, Northcutt, Iva Parapunova, Moolman and Savannah Wood all won in two sets Wednesday, while Ebada rallied from behind to top Jacksonville State’s Ulanday, 1-6, 6-1, 7-5. With her victory, Ebada improved to 3-2 on court No. 2 this season.
Moolman, the Bulldogs’ junior standout from Aranos, Namibia, boasts a perfect 3-0 record in singles play this season, while Northcutt improved to 3-1 at the No. 3 position.
The No. 73-ranked Samford University women’s tennis team will next be in action Saturday at noon (CST) as the Bulldogs play host to the No. 28-ranked Auburn Tigers in a critical non-conference duel to be held at the Samford Tennis Center.
UNCA 4, Furman 3
GREENVILLE, S.C. – With the score tied at three, Amalie Davidsen defeated freshman Joan van Lochem, 7-5, 6-4, at flight five to lead undefeated UNC Asheville past 67th-ranked Furman, 4-3, Wednesday at the Mickel Tennis Center in Greenville, S.C.
The Bulldogs (5-0) won two out of three doubles matches to clinch the opening point. Christin Boissevain and Lauren Booker topped freshmen Harper Caswell and Alejandra Gil, 6-2, at flight two, and Amryn Soldier and Hunter Hall teamed up to beat sophomore Karlee Bryde and freshman Joan van Lochem, 6-3, in the third-seeded match-up. The Paladins picked up the win at flight one, as senior Alex Moreno-Kaste and sophomore Ansley Speaks downed Ericka Rivero and Emily McNall, 6-3.
In singles action, Caswell put the Paladins on the board with a 6-4, 6-2, win over Boissevain at flight four, then Bryde stretched the Furman lead to 2-1 with a 6-1, 7-5 victory versus Soldier at number three. In the top-seeded matchup, Moreno-Kaste held on to down Rivero, 6-2, 2-6, 6-0, giving the Paladins a 3-1 advantage. McNall brought the Bulldogs within one, beating sophomore Blair Martin, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, at number two, before Hall defeated Gil, 6-2, 6-2, at flight six to tie the match at 3-all and set up the decisive flight five contest.