CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Top-seeded Furman and No. 2 seed ETSU will meet in the title match of the Southern Conference Women’s Tennis Championship for the sixth straight season on Saturday after winning semifinal matches Friday at the Champions Club. Saturday’s title tilt will begin at 2 p.m., moved back one hour from the previously announced 1 p.m. start time.
 
The five-time defending champion Paladins are in the title match for the sixth straight season, while ETSU has reached the championship match each year since rejoining the SoCon in 2015, last winning the title in 2016. It will be the second meeting in a week between the sides with a title on the line, as Furman took a 4-3 win over the Bucs last Saturday in a battle of SoCon unbeatens for the regular-season title.
 
No. 1 Furman 4, No. 4 Mercer 2
 
Furman battled back from a loss at No. 1 doubles to claim the point and the early 1-0 advantage. Mercer’s All-SoCon duo of Teodora Ristic and Mary Weston Courville topped fellow all-conference picks and 67^th-ranked Jess Dawson and Sara Snyder to give the Bears some early momentum.
 
The Paladins pulled even on Madison Dillon and Luca Victoria Vocke’s 6-4 win at No. 3 before Marissa Pennings and Ellie Schulson outlasted Eden Schlagenhauf and Camilla Ciaccia 7-6 (7-5) at No. 2 to give Furman the point.
 
Vocke made it 2-0 Furman with her 6-1, 6-0 win over Lekha Varudandi at No. 6, but Ciaccia got a point back for the Bears with her 6-4, 6-3 win over Dawson at No. 4. Mercer pulled even on Marina de Diego Quinones’ 1-6, 6-3, 6-0 win over Dillon at No 5, but Schulson battled back from a 5-2 deficit in her second set for a 6-2, 7-5 win over Ristic at No. 1. Pennings then clinched the match with her 7-5, 6-4 win over Courville at No. 2 to send the Paladins through to the final.
 
Snyder and Schlagenhauf were even at a set apiece and tied 3-3 in the third at No. 3 when their match was abandoned.
 
Singles competition
1. Ellie Schulson (FUR) def. Teodora Ristic (MER) 6-2, 7-5
2. Marissa Pennings (FUR) def. Mary Weston Courville (MER) 7-5, 6-4
3. Sara Snyder (FUR) vs. Eden Schlagenhauf (MER) 6-0, 3-6, 3-3, unfinished
4. Camilla Ciaccia (MER) def. Jess Dawson (FUR) 6-4, 6-3
5. Marina de Diego Quinones (MER) def. Madison Dillon (FUR) 1-6, 6-3, 6-0
6. Luca Victoria Vocke (FUR) def. Lekha Varudandi (MER) 6-1, 6-0
 
Doubles competition
1. Teodora Ristic/Mary Weston Courville (MER) def. #67 Jess Dawson/Sara Snyder (FUR) 6-3
2. Marissa Pennings/Ellie Schulson (FUR) def. Eden Schlagenhauf/Camilla Ciaccia (MER) 7-6 (7-5)
3. Madison Dillon/Luca Victoria Vocke (FUR) def. Marina de Diego Quinones/Kristin Yordanova (MER) 6-4
 
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (6,4,5,1,2)
 
*****
 
No. 2 ETSU 4, No. 6 Wofford 0
 
No. 2 seed ETSU picked up a 4-0 over sixth-seeded Wofford to head back to the SoCon title match for the eighth straight tournament.
 
The Bucs earned the early 1-0 advantage with wins at Nos. 2 and 3 doubles. Fernanda Carvajal and Daniela Rivera grabbed a 6-4 win at No. 2, while Emilia Alfaro and Ralitsa Alexandrova clinched the point with a win by the same score. Laylo Bakhodirova and Mariya Shumeika were leading 5-2 at No. 1 when the match was abandoned.
 
Rivera grabbed a 6-0, 6-2 win over Emely Kahrs at No. 5 singles for a 2-0 ETSU lead, with Carvajal following with a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Brianna Wilbur on court three to put the Bucs on the verge of the clinch.
 
Shumeika punched ETSU’s title match ticket with her 6-1, 6-3 win over Breda Brennan at No. 2.
 
Alfaro was one just game away from a win at No. 4 before her match against Georgia Fischer was abandoned with her leading 6-2, 5-2, while Wofford won the first sets at Nos. 1 and 6 in matches that were abandoned.
 
Woods earned a 7-5 win over Bakhodirova, the SoCon Player of the Year, in the first set on court one before the Bucs’ top player won the first game of the second set. On court six, Catherine Blouin took a 6-3 win over Alexandrova in the first set. Alexandrova was leading the second set 4-2 when the match was clinched.
 
Singles competition
1. Laylo Bakhodirova (ETSU) vs. Lily Woods (WOF) 5-7, 1-0, unfinished
2. Mariya Shumeika (ETSU) def. Breda Brennan (WOF) 6-1, 6-3
3. Fernanda Carvajal (ETSU) def. Brianna Wilbur (WOF) 6-0, 6-4
4. Emilia Alfaro (ETSU) vs. Georgia Fischer (WOF) 6-2, 5-2, unfinished
5. Daniela Rivera (ETSU) def. Emely Kahrs (WOF) 6-0, 6-2
6. Ralitsa Alexandrova (ETSU) vs. Catherine Blouin (WOF) 3-6, 4-2, unfinished
 
Doubles competition
1. Laylo Bakhodirova/Mariya Shumeika (ETSU) vs. Georgia Fischer/Lily Woods (WOF) 5-2, unfinished
2. Fernanda Carvajal/Daniela Rivera (ETSU) def. Emma Sorensen/Catherine Blouin (WOF) 6-4
3. Emilia Alfaro/Ralitsa Alexandrova (ETSU) def. Emely Kahrs/Brianna Wilbur (WOF) 6-4
 
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (5,3,2)

*****
 
SoCon Women’s Tennis Championship
Chattanooga, Tenn. – Champions Club
Thursday, April 20
Match 1: No. 1 Furman 4, No. 8 UNCG 0
Match 2: No. 4 Mercer 4, No. 5 Chattanooga 1
Match 3: No. 6 Wofford 4, No. 3 Samford 3
Match 4: No. 2 ETSU 4, No. 7 Western Carolina 0
 
Friday, April 21
Match 5: No. 1 Furman 4, No. 4 Mercer 2
Match 6: No. 2 ETSU 4, No. 6 Wofford 0
 
Saturday, April 22
Match 7: No. 1 Furman vs. No. 2 ETSU, 1 p.m.