SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford College women’s tennis team battled to a 6-1 victory over the Presbyterian College Blue Hose Tuesday afternoon at Reeves Tennis Center.
The Terriers (9-4, 1-1 SoCon) started the match by taking two of three doubles matches to earn the first point. The Blue Hose (9-9, 0-5 Big South) played Wofford tough in singles however, forcing third sets in four of the six matches to keep it close down the stretch.
“This match was all about heart,” Head Coach Krissy Hall said after the match. “We fought and we competed until the very last point on every court and I am so proud of this team.”
Junior Kalli Karas and freshman Cassidy Hicks began the day for Wofford with a doubles win over Presbyterian’s Demi Henschel and Caroline Ferrari 6-3 at the one position. Sophomores Lauren Reid and Samantha Russell also won their doubles match at the two spot 6-3 over Tracy Johnson and Claire-Mitchell Andrews, giving Wofford the overall doubles point.
The Blue Hose did win the last doubles match at the three position. Nicole Croxton and Celine Schepers defeated Wofford juniors Taylor Carlson and Catherine Martin 6-4.
In singles, Karas earned a resounding victory over Henschel at the three position, cruising to a 6-0, 6-1 victory to put Wofford up 2-0. Martin at the one position finished next, battling close with Schepers and winning the match 7-5, 6-3.
The next four matches all went to a decisive third-set tiebreaker. Carlson lost her match at the six position to Nicole Croxton, dropping the first set 6-2 before battling back in the second and taking it 6-0. Croxton however won the third set 7-5 to give Presbyterian their first point of the match.
Hicks at the two position however sealed the overall match for Wofford. After dropping the first set to Johnson, Hicks rallied to take the next two sets and earn a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 win.
Reid and Russell also competed in singles for Wofford. Reid at the four position fell in her first set before fighting to take the next two sets in a close 1-6, 7-6, 7-5 victory. Russell at the five position won her first set 7-6 but lost her next set 6-7 before winning the final set 6-4 to earn the match victory.
The win snaps a two-match losing streak to Presbyterian and gives Wofford a 6-2 series advantage since the 1995-96 season when the Terriers started at the Division I level. The Terriers also matched their win total from last season with Tuesday’s victory.