ETSU 6, Western Carolina 1
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Playing just its third home match of the year, the Western Carolina women’s tennis team lost its home Southern Conference opener to East Tennessee State University, 6-1. The Catamounts drop to 1-1 in conference play with the loss while the Bucs improved to 2-0.
Junior Nicole Nielly picked up WCU’s lone win on the day as she toppled Melissa Esguerra 7-5, 6-4 in the No. 3 singles match. Nielly fell behind 5-3 in the opening set but rattled off four-straight games to take the opening set 7-5. In the second set she took an early 2-1 lead and the two traded games until it was 5-4. It was Nielly’s serve and she took the game to capture the set 6-4.
Another great battle happened at No. 2 doubles as junior Shannon Bettiol fell in a thriller 6-7 (5), 6-4, 10-5 to ETSU’s Ana Gerbasi. The first set was back-and-forth. Bettiol took the early 3-2 lead but Gerbasi battled back to take a 5-3 lead. Bettiol then took the next three games to go up 6-5 but Gerbasi tied the set with a win in the 12th game. Bettiol took the first three points in the tiebreaker before Gerbasi picked up a point. The two traded points until it was 6-4 in Bettiol’s favor. Gerbasi won the next point to make it 6-5 but Bettiol was able to close out the tiebreaker with a point on the next serve to capture a 7-5 victory.
The victory was Nielly’s fifth of the season as she holds a 5-6 singles record.
Bettiol took an early lead in the second set at 3-2 but Gerbasi was able to claim four of the next five sets to take a 6-4 win. At the end of the second set the overall match had already been decided so Bettiol and Gerbasi went into a 10-point tiebreaker. Bettiol was able to take a 6-5 lead but Gerbasi claimed the final five points to win the match 10-6.
The No. 2 doubles match was also a tight one as ETSU claimed the victory over Nielly and freshman Montse Mesalles 8-7 (4). ETSU took a quick 2-0 lead in the match but the Catamounts answered with three-straight games to take a 3-2 lead. The two teams traded the next two sets to make it 4-3 in favor of WCU. ETSU then went on a four-game winning streak to take a commanding 7-4 lead but Nielly and Mesalles did not give up. They broke ETSU serve twice and Mesalles served a winning game to tie the set at seven.
In the tiebreaker the two traded the first six serves to sit tied at three. ETSU then won four of the next five serves to claim the tiebreak victory, 7-4.
Senior Megan McLinden and Bettiol dropped the No. 1 doubles match 8-2 which secured the doubles point for ETSU.
McLinden saw her singles winning streak come to an end as she fell at No.1 to Lyn Yee Choo 6-4, 6-2. McLinden is now 8-3 overall in singles action this season.
Junior Erin Maguire fell at No. 4 to Ioanna Markesini 6-3, 6-4 while Mesalles fell at No. 5 to Jayde Viccars 6-0, 6-0.
The Catamounts fall to 3-8 overall and 1-1 in conference play while the Buccaneers improve to 8-3 overall and 2-0 in SoCon action.
UNCG 6, Wofford 1
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG women’s tennis team dominated singles play winning five of six matches to easily defeat Wofford, 6-1, Saturday at the UNCG Tennis Courts.
The Spartans improve to 5-6 with a 1-1 conference record and Wofford falls to 7-7 with a 1-2 conference mark.
In doubles, UNCG took a 1-0 lead after claiming two of three doubles matches. Freshman Blaine Boaz and senior Stephanie Falcon defeated Catherine Martin and Mareli Sanchez, 8-2 at No. 2 doubles.
Freshman Corinne Blythe and senior Kayla Gammie clinched the doubles point with a 8-3 win against Kalli Karas and Lauren Reid, at No. 1 doubles.
In the final match, Samantha Russell and Taylor Carlson defeated Jamie Grinberg and Masey DeMoss, 8-4 at No. 3 doubles.
In singles, Wofford tied the match after Audrey Coventry earned a 4-1 retired win against Soumeya Anane at No. 2 singles.
Falcon gave UNCG a 2-1 lead after a 6-0, 6-3 win against Karas, at No. 3 singles. Gammie downed Martin, 6-3, 6-0 at No. 1 singles.
Junior Amy Ellis won in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2 at No. 4 singles.
Furman 4, Charlotte 3
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – After losing the first set in three of six singles matches, the Furman women’s tennis team rallied to defeat Charlotte, 4-3, Saturday at the Halton-Wagner Tennis Complex in Charlotte, N.C.
The Paladins won two of three doubles matches to clinch the opening doubles point. Senior Alex Moreno-Kaste and sophomore Ansley Speaks topped Fleur Holtkamp and Victoria Pahlett, 6-2, at flight one, and sophomore Karlee Bryde and freshman Harper Caswell downed Tyler Baker and Macy Vonderschmidt, 6-2, at number three. The flight two match was unfinished.
Furman extended its lead to 3-0 early in singles play, as Speaks topped Pahlett, 6-1, 6-3, at number one, and Bryce bested Holtkamp, 6-3, 6-2, at flight four. Natsuko Takayanagi put the 49ers on the board with a 6-1, 6-0 win over freshman Alejandra Gil at flight six, and Lisa Grosselius cut the margin to 3-2 with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over sophomore Blair Margin at number three, but Moreno-Kaste clinched the match for the Paladins, beating Vonderschmidt, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2, at flight two. At flight five, Baker posted a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 win versus Harper in the final contest of the day.
“We played well to secure the doubles point, but in singles we lost three of six first sets,” said Furman head coach Debbie Southern after the match. “I was proud of the way we fought to turn two matches and took the second set. Alex stepped up in her third set to clinch the win for us.”