Furman 4, UNCW 3
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Down 3-2, sophomore Ansley Speaks and freshman Joan van Lochem rallied for singles wins to lead the Furman women’s tennis team past UNC Wilmington, 4-3, Saturday in Wilmington, N.C.
The Paladins won two of three doubles matches to capture the opening point. Senior Alex Moreno-Kaste teamed with Speaks to defeat Christine Kharkevitch and Annika Sillanpaa, 9-8(10-8) at flight one, and sophomore Karlee Bryde and freshman Harper Caswell downed Alix Theodossiou and Christin Kaupper, 8-3, at number three. The Seahawks picked up the win at flight two, as Miller Hales and Alyssa Ritchie slipped past sophomore Blair Martin and van Lochem, 9-7.
UNC Wilmington took a 2-1 lead after Ritchie beat Moreno-Kaste, 6-1, 6-3, at flight two singles, then Theodossiou posted a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Bryde at number four. Martin tied the score at 2-2 after defeating Kharkevitch, 6-2, 6-4, at number three, but Hamilton Lovett held on for a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 win versus Caswell at flight five, as the Seahawks regained the lead.
Speaks tied the match at 3-all with a 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-4 victory against Sillanpaa in the top-flighted match to set up the decisive flight six match-up, where van Lochem bested Kaupper, 7-5, 6-4.
“We had a great team effort today with everyone contributing to the win,” said Furman head coach Debbie Southern following the victory. “Conditions were cold and windy, but the girls did a super job of fighting through the elements.”
The Paladins (2-7) are in the midst of a nine-match road swing. Furman will play at Coastal Carolina Sunday at 11 a.m. Following a nine-day break, the team will embark on a Spring Break trip to Florida, where Furman will play North Florida, UCF, and South Florida. On March 21-22, the Paladins will play at Charlotte and Winthrop before opening the SoCon season at Samford and Chattanooga at the end of March.
ETSU 6, Akron 1
AKRON, Ohio - The ETSU women's tennis team clinched its sixth victory in seven matches Satuday as the Bucs cruised past non-conference opponent Akron, 6-1, at the LaTuchie Tennis Center in Akron, Ohio.
The Buccaneers (6-1) dominated the day, winning all but one spot against the Zips (7-5).
All three ETSU doubles teams earned 6-1 victories in the win.
Meanwhile, five of ETSU's six singles competitors came away victorious, including senior Jessica Brumit who improved her spring singles record to 5-0, and Ana Gerbasi who earned a come-from-behind win at No. 3 Singles.
The doubles tandem of Gerbasi and Lyn Yee Choo advanced to 4-0 on the season.
ETSU will continue non-conference play, taking on Winthrop Wednesday, March 4 at 1:00 p.m., in Rock Hill, S.C.
Mercer 4, Florida A&M 3
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Mercer women's tennis team fought back to win a 4-3 match over Florida A&M on Saturday afternoon.
The Bears moved to 4-6 on the season, having won four of their last five matches.
Mercer played without Roxy Bartz, who was unable to make the trip due to injury. After falling behind 2-0 early in the match, Laura Kelly and Grace Korta won the first two singles matches to knot the score, 2-2.
Florida A&M won at the number 4 singles spot, taking a 3-2 lead and only needing one more win to secure the match. The Bears refused to let that happen as Haley Powell tied the score again, 3-3, and Xandra Fougner also won her match to clinch a 4-3 win for the Orange and Black.
"In today's match I finally saw the fight in the team that I have been looking for," said Head Coach Eric Hayes. "We only had five players and had to forfeit a few matches. The team had their backs against the wall and refused to lose."
UNCG 5, West Virginia State 1
UNCG 7, North Carolina A&T 0
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG women’s tennis team defeated West Virginia State, 5-1, and earned a 7-0 sweep against North Carolina A&T Saturday at the Piedmont Indoor Tennis Center.
The Spartans have won two-straight matches to improve to 4-2 on the season. North Carolina A&T falls to 0-7 and West Virginia State played the match as a exhibition.
In the match against the West Virginia State, the Blue and Gold won all three doubles matches to take a 1-0 lead. Senior Kayla Gammie and freshman Corinne Blythe took down Brittany Franco and Brooke Campbell, 8-2 at No. 1 doubles.
Senior Stephanie Falcon and freshman Blaine Boaz clinched the point with a 8-2 win against Nina Dillwald and Diana Cotoros, 8-2. In the final doubles match, sophomores Yasmin Franco and Masey DeMoss earned a 8-1 victory against Brenda Cumpa and Charlotte Sandy.
In singles, Falcon won in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0 against Sandy at No. 3 singles. Blythe took down Dillwald, 6-1, 6-1 at No. 4 singles.
Junior Amy Ellis won in straight sets against Cotoros, 6-0, 6-1 at No. 5 singles. Gammie made it 5-0 UNCG after a 6-3, 6-2 win against Campbell at No. 2 singles.
Junior Jamie Grinberg did not start her match. West Virginia State did earn a point at No. 1 singles as Franco outlasted junior Soumeya Anane, 2-6, 7-6, 1-0 (10-2).
The Spartans would continue their winning ways in a 7-0 sweep against cross-town rivals North Carolina A&T in the second match of the day.
In doubles, Gammie and Blythe defeated Khalia Powell and Nadia Hilton-Adams, 6-1 at No. 1 doubles. Franco and Boaz clinched the doubles point with a 6-1 win against Tyla Goodridge and Alexus Morgan at No. 2 doubles.
In the final doubles match, Ellis and Alisha Burton completed the sweep with a 6-1 win against Saudra Smith and Kayla Jefferson at No. 3 doubles.
In singles, Ellis won in straight sets at No. 1 singles against Powell, 6-3, 6-2. Franco only dropped one game against Jefferson in a 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 2 singles. Grinberg defeated Hilton-Adams, 6-1, 6-3 at No. 3 singles.
Boaz earned a 6-2, 6-0 win against Morgan at No. 4 singles and DeMoss won in straight sets against Goodridge, 6-1, 6-1 at No. 5 singles.
In the final match, Burton defeated Smith, 6-2, 6-3 at No. 6 singles.
Wright State 4, Western Carolina 3
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The Western Carolina women’s tennis team fell 4-3 in its home opener Saturday afternoon to Wright State. The Catamounts had to play the match with just five players after freshman Elizabeth Ansari was lost due to injury earlier this week. WCU’s top two singles players cruised to victories in their respective matches and they teamed up to take the No. 1 doubles match by a score of 8-1.
"I'm really proud of the way we competed today and gave ourselves a chance to win despite starting the match already down a point,” said head coach Michaela Kissell-Eddins. “I thought our doubles looked good and we competed hard at every position in singles, earning three individual victories. If we can build off of the level we played at today we will put ourselves in many more situations to win matches.”
Junior Shannon Bettiol played in the No. 1 slot and defeated Vanessa Madrigal of Wright State 6-2, 6-1. Bettiol is now 2-2 on the year in singles matches including 1-1 at the top spot. Senior Megan McLinden played at No. 2 and won her match over Aby Madrigal, 6-2, 6-0. McLinden is also 2-2 in singles matches this season including 1-1 at the No. 2 spot.
Bettiol and McLinden teamed up to defeat the team of Linsey Verstrepen and Karoline Haller in the No. 1 doubles match 8-1.
Junior Erin Maguire picked up WCU’s only other victory as she downed Tori Turner, 4-6, 6-3, 10-6 in a hard fought match at No. 4. Maguire is also now 2-2 on the year including a perfect 1-0 at No. 4.
With the loss the Catamounts fall to 1-3 on the year. Wright State improved its record to 4-5.
Junior Nicole Nielly dropped the No. 3 singles match to Haller by a tight score of 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. Freshman Montse Mesalles moved up to the No. 5 slot with the absence of Ansari and fell 6-1, 6-2 to Elaine Cloern.
Mesalles and Nielly teamed up at No. 2 doubles and fell 8-5 to V. Madrigal and Megan Brdicka.
The Catamounts will be back in action this Monday as they take on Longwood University in a neutral site match in Spartanburg, S.C.