CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – No. 2 seed ETSU finally broke through against No. 1 seed Furman, topping the Paladins 4-0 Saturday in the title match of the 2023 Southern Conference Women’s Tennis Championship for its first crown since 2016.
 
The Bucs (19-7) and Paladins (13-12) were meeting in the title bout for the sixth straight tournament, with Furman claiming the previous five meetings. ETSU, which has reached the championship match each year since rejoining the SoCon in 2015, claimed its second title in program history. The Bucs’ win Saturday also avenged a 4-3 setback at Furman that determined the regular-season championship exactly a week ago.
 
ETSU sophomore Daniela Rivera was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament after going 3-0 in singles play and 3-0 in doubles over the course of the three-day event. Her 6-4, 6-4 win over Madison Dillon at No. 5 singles Saturday clinched the match for the Bucs.
 
Rivera and Fernanda Carvajal got the scoring started in doubles, as they cruised to a 6-0 win at No. 2. Laylo Bakhodirova and Mariya Shumeika clinched the point with a 6-2 win over 67^th-ranked Jess Dawson and Sara Snyder at No. 1.
 
Furman’s Dillon and Luca Victoria Vocke led 5-1 at No. 3 doubles when that match was abandoned.
 
In singles play, Emilia Alfaro got on the board first with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Dawson at No. 4 in a rematch of the match that Dawson won 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) last week to clinch regular-season title for the Paladins.
 
Bakhodirova, the SoCon Player of the Year, made it 3-0 with her 6-1, 6-2 win over Ellie Schulson at No. 1 singles before Rivera clinched it moments later on court five.
 
The match was closer than the 4-0 final score indicated. Of the three singles matches that were abandoned, two of them were in a third set and Furman led the other. At No. 2 singles, ETSU’s Shumeika held a 3-0 lead in the third set after Marissa Pennings won the first set 6-3 and Shumeika claimed the second 6-1.
 
Furman’s Snyder held a 2-1 lead in the third set at No. 3, dropping the first set to Carvajal 6-2 but claiming a 6-3 win in set two. At No. 6, Furman’s Vocke won set one 6-1 and she and Ralitsa Alexandrova were tied 5-5 in the second set.
 
Bakhodirova earned the Pinnacle Award, given to the student-athlete with the highest GPA on the championship-winning team. A management and marketing double-major, she boasts a 3.75 GPA.
 
The Bucs, who earned the SoCon’s automatic bid to the 2023 NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Championships, will learn their postseason fate on Monday, May 1, with an announcement on NCAA.com at 6 p.m.
 
Singles competition
1. Laylo Bakhodirova (ETSU) def. Ellie Schulson (FUR) 6-1, 6-2
2. Marissa Pennings (FUR) vs. Mariya Shumeika (ETSU) 6-3, 1-6, 0-3, unfinished
3. Sara Snyder (FUR) vs. Fernanda Carvajal (ETSU) 2-6, 6-3, 2-1, unfinished
4. Emilia Alfaro (ETSU) def. Jess Dawson (FUR) 6-1, 6-1
5. Daniela Rivera (ETSU) def. Madison Dillon (FUR) 6-4, 6-4
6. Luca Victoria Vocke (FUR) vs. Ralitsa Alexandrova (ETSU) 6-1, 5-5, unfinished
 
Doubles competition
1. Laylo Bakhodirova/Mariya Shumeika (ETSU) def. #67 Jess Dawson/Sara Snyder (FUR) 6-2
2. Fernanda Carvajal/Daniela Rivera (ETSU) def. Marissa Pennings/Ellie Schulson (FUR) 6-0
3. Madison Dillon/Luca Victoria Vocke (FUR) vs. Emilia Alfaro/Ralitsa Alexandrova (ETSU) 5-1, unfinished
 
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (4,1,5)

*****
 
Most Outstanding Player
Daniela Rivera, ETSU
 
Pinnacle Award (highest GPA on championship-winning team)
Laylo Bakhodirova, ETSU
 
 
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. 2 ETSU 4, No. 1 Furman 0