HOOVER, Ala. – No. 1 seed Furman captured the program’s 20th Southern Conference Women’s Tennis Championship and fourth consecutive on Saturday, downing No. 2 seed ETSU, 4-0, at the Hoover Met on Saturday afternoon. The Paladins will move on to the NCAA Women’s Tennis Championships via the SoCon’s automatic berth.

The Paladins, ranked No. 31st nationally, earned the first doubles win of the day with a 6-1 win at No. 1. Katarina Kozarov and Julia Adams, ranked 34^th as a duo, downed Alejandra Morales and Mayya Gorbunova before Madison Dillon and MaryAnn Rompf, ranked 85^th, defeated Laylo Bakhodirova and Emilia Alfaro, 6-0, at No. 2 to clinch the doubles point and put the Paladins in front 1-0 heading into singles play.

Kozarov, ranked 17^th nationally in singles, made quick work of ETSU’s Bakhodirova at No. 1, cruising to a 6-1, 6-2 win to put Furman up 2-0.  Adams, ranked 82^nd, followed with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Morales at No. 2 to push the Paladins lead to 3-0. It was freshman Ellie Schoppe, playing at No. 6, that clinched Furman’s 4-0 win, earning a 6-4, 6-4 win over Yunuen Elizarraras.

The matches at No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 went unfinished.

Back-to-back-to-back-to-back tournament titles had not been accomplished in the SoCon since College of Charleston’s run of five straight from 2009 to 2013.

Kozarov, the three-time SoCon Player of the Year, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player for the second straight season. Pate was the recipient of the Pinnacle Award, which is given to the student-athlete with the highest GPA on the championship-winning team. 

Furman (21-6) will now await its draw in the NCAA tournament, which will be announced during a live selection show on May 3 at 6 p.m.
 
No. 1 Furman 4, No. 2 ETSU 0
Singles competition
1. #17 Katarina Kozarov (FUR) def. Laylo Bakhodirova (ETSU) 6-1, 6-2
2. #82 Julia Adams (FUR) def. Alejandra Morales (ETSU) 6-4, 6-3
3. Madison Dillon (FUR) vs. A Pascual-Larrinaga (ETSU) 6-3, 1-6, 1-0, unfinished
4. MaryAnn Rompf (FUR) vs. Emilia Alfaro (ETSU) 2-6, 4-3, unfinished
5. Maggie Pate (FUR) vs. Maria Carvajal (ETSU) 6-2, 4-3, unfinished
6. Ellie Schoppe (FUR) def. Yunuen Elizarraras (ETSU) 6-4, 6-4
 
Doubles competition
1. #34 Katarina Kozarov/Julia Adams (FUR) def. Alejandra Morales/Mayya Gorbunova (ETSU) 6-1
2. #85 Madison Dillon/MaryAnn Rompf (FUR) def. Laylo Bakhodirova/Emilia Alfaro (ETSU) 6-0
3. Maggie Pate/Ellie Schoppe (FUR) vs. Maria Carvajal/A Pascual-Larrinaga (ETSU) 4-2, unfinished
 
Match Notes: ETSU 13-10, 6-1 SoCon • Furman 21-6, 7-0 SoCon; National ranking #31
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (1,2,6)
 
 

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