CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Southern Conference Player of the Year and Tournament Most Outstanding Player Julia Adams gutted out a 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (8-6) win at No. 1 singles to clinch No. 1 seed Furman's 4-2 win over No. 2 seed ETSU on Saturday in the title match of the 2022 SoCon Women's Tennis Championship at the Champions Club.
 
The 36th-ranked Paladins claimed their fifth straight title and the SoCon’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. Furman will learn its postseason destination on Monday, May 2, at 6:30 p.m. ET via NCAA.com.
 
With Furman (21-6) clinging to a 3-2 team lead and No. 5 singles in the third set, Adams was locked in an intense duel with Laylo Bakhodirova at No. 1 with the match on the line. The 46th-ranked senior from Knoxville, Tennessee, trailed the second-set tiebreak 5-2 before rattling off three straight points to tie things at 5. Bakhodirova pulled back in front, but Adams claimed the next three points to clinch the game, set and match.
 
Adams was involved in three tiebreakers on the day, as she and Ellie Schoppe, the 38th-ranked doubles tandem in the nation, clinched the doubles point with a 7-6 (7-4) win over Bakhodirova and Alejandra Morales at No. 1.
 
The Furman freshman duo of Jess Dawson and Sara Snyder claimed a 6-4 win at No. 3, while ETSU’s Emilia Alfaro and Mayya Gorbunova were leading 6-5 at No. 2 when the bout was abandoned.
 
Dawson made it 2-0 for Furman with a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 6 singles, but 74th-ranked ETSU (17-9) got the point back when Fernanda Carvajal downed Snyder, the SoCon Freshman of the Year at No. 3, 6-4, 6-1.
 
Alfaro tied the match at 2 with her 7-6 (7-4), 6-0 win at No. 4, but Schoppe put Furman back on top to stay when her match at No. 2 went final, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3.
 
Ellie Schulson held a narrow 6-1, 3-6, 4-3 win at No. 5 when Adams clinched the match.
 
Adams finished the tournament with a 2-0 singles mark, not dropping a set, and a 3-0 doubles record.
 
Furman’s Maggie Pate earned the Pinnacle Award, given annually to the player with the highest GPA on the championship-winning team.
 
 Singles competition 
1. #46 Julia Adams (FUR) def. Laylo Bakhodirova (ETSU) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (8-6)
2. Ellie Schoppe (FUR) def. Alejandra Morales (ETSU) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
3. Fernanda Carvajal (ETSU) def. Sara Snyder (FUR) 6-4, 6-1
4. Emilia Alfaro (ETSU) def. Madison Dillon (FUR) 7-6 (7-4), 6-0
5. Ellie Schulson (FUR) vs. Daniela Rivera (ETSU) 6-1, 3-6, 4-3, unfinished
6. Jess Dawson (FUR) def. Yunuen Elizarraras (ETSU) 6-2, 6-2
 
 Doubles competition 
1. #38 Julia Adams/Ellie Schoppe (FUR) def. Laylo Bakhodirova/Alejandra Morales (ETSU) 7-6 (7-4)
2. Madison Dillon/Ellie Schulson (FUR) vs. Emilia Alfaro/Mayya Gorbunova (ETSU) 5-6, unfinished
3. Jess Dawson/Sara Snyder (FUR) def. Fernanda Carvajal/Daniela Rivera (ETSU) 6-4
 
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (6,3,4,2,1)
 
*****
 
SoCon Women’s Tennis Championship
Chattanooga, Tenn. – Champions Club
Thursday, April 21
Match 1: No. 1 Furman 4, No. 8 Mercer 0
Match 2: No. 4 Chattanooga 4, No. 5 Wofford 2
Match 3: No. 3 Samford 4, No. 6 Western Carolina 0
Match 4: No. 2 ETSU 4, No. 7 UNCG 0
 
Friday, April 22
Match 5: No. 1 Furman 4, No. 4 Chattanooga 0
Match 6: No. 2 ETSU 4, No. 3 Samford 0
 
Saturday, April 23
Match 7: No. 1 Furman 4, No. 2 ETSU 2

Most Outstanding Player
Julia Adams, Sr., Furman

Pinnacle Award
Maggie Pate, Jr., Furman