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No.1 Furman and No. 2 ETSU advance to the SoCon Championship match
Final set to start at 1 p.m.
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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The top two seeds, No. 1 Furman and three time defending champion, No. 2 ETSU, advanced to the finals of the 2025 Southern Conference Women’s Tennis Championship on Friday. The tournament is being contested at the Champions Club, with the finals set for Saturday at 1 p.m.
No. 1 Furman 4, No. 4 Western Carolina 0
The Paladins’ Jess Dawson and Macy Hitchcock earned a quick 6-1 win against Isabella Sambola and Andrea Redondo at No.2 doubles. The tandem of Ellie Schulson and Sara Snyder secured a 6-3 triumph over Western Carolina's Jade Groen and Chloe Schwarz to secure the doubles point for Furman.
In singles play, Grace Thomas gave the Paladins a 2-0 advantage with a commanding 6-2, 6-0 win over Andrea Redondo at the No. 6 position. Hitchcock followed with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Zoe Lui on court five to extend the lead to 3-0. Dawson clinched the match for Furman at the No. 3 spot, defeating Madison Schwarz 6-2, 7-5 to seal the 4-0 victory and send the Paladins to the SoCon championship match.
Singles competition
1. Sara Snyder (FUR) vs. Jade Groen (WCU) 6-7 (5-7), 1-4, unfinished
2. Marissa Pennings (FUR) vs. Isabella Sambola (WCU) 6-7 (6-8), unfinished
3. Jess Dawson (FUR) def. Madison Schwarz (WCU) 6-2, 7-5
4. Ellie Schulson (FUR) vs. Angela Perez (WCU) 6-3, 3-3, unfinished
5. Macy Hitchcock (FUR) def. Hokualohi Lui (WCU) 6-1, 6-4
6. Grace Thomas (FUR) def. Andrea Redondo (WCU) 6-2, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Ellie Schulson/Sara Snyder (FUR) def. Jade Groen/Chloe Schwarz (WCU) 6-3
2. Jess Dawson/Macy Hitchcock (FUR) def. Isabella Sambola/Andrea Redondo (WCU) 6-1 3. Alexa Griffith/Marissa Pennings (FUR) vs. Madison Schwarz/Angela Perez (WCU) 3-5, unfinished
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (6, 5, 3)
*****
No. 2 ETSU 4, No. 3 Wofford 2
East Tennessee State University advanced to the Southern Conference Championship final after defeating Wofford 4-2 in semifinal action Friday at the Champions Club.
ETSU set the tone early by claiming the doubles point with victories on the top two courts. Jana Rovira and Julia Millan dominated their match at No. 2 with a 6-0 win over Emma Sorensen and Catherine Blouin, while the duo of Daniela Rivera and Alessandra Caceres secured the point with a 6-4 victory against Wofford's Breda Brennan and Lily Woods at court one.
The Bucs extended their lead in singles play when Ksenija Rage topped Chloe Elliott at the No. 6 position, 6-1, 6-0. Julia Millan followed with a victory at the No. 4 spot, defeating Catherine Blouin 6-2, 6-1 to put the Bucs ahead 3-0. Wofford captured the next two matches as Lily Woods earned a 6-2, 7-5 win over Jana Rovira at No. 3, and Brianna Wilbur battled to a 7-5, 6-4 victory against Alessandra Caceres at the No. 2 position to narrow the deficit to 3-2.
The decisive point came from Ralitsa Alexandrova who outlasted Grace Agster in a three-set contest, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, clinching the match for ETSU.
Singles competition
1. Daniela Rivera (ETSU) vs. Breda Brennan (WOF) 6-3, 4-6, 4-3, unfinished
2. Brianna Wilbur (WOF) def. Alessandra Caceres (ETSU) 7-5, 6-4
3. Lily Woods (WOF) def. Jana Rovira (ETSU) 6-2, 7-5
4. Julia Millan (ETSU) def. Catherine Blouin (WOF) 6-2, 6-1
5. Ralitsa Alexandrova (ETSU) def. Grace Agster (WOF) 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
6. Ksenija Rage (ETSU) def. Chloe Elliott (WOF) 6-1, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Daniela Rivera/Alessandra Caceres (ETSU) def. Breda Brennan/Lily Woods (WOF) 6-4
2. Jana Rovira/Julia Millan (ETSU) def. Emma Sorensen/Catherine Blouin (WOF) 6-0
3. Ralitsa Alexandrova/Ksenija Rage (ETSU) vs. Chloe Elliott/Brianna Wilbur (WOF) 5-4, unfinished
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (6,4,3,2,5)
*****
SoCon Women’s Tennis Championship
Chattanooga, Tenn. – Champions Club
Thursday, April 17
Match 1: No. 1 Furman 4, No. 8 UNCG 0
Match 2: No. 4 Western Carolina 4, No. 5 Mercer 0
Match 3: No. 3 Wofford 4, No. 6 Chattanooga 0
Match 4: No. 2 ETSU 4, No. 7 Samford 0
Friday, April 18
Match 5: No. 1 Furman 4, No. 4 Western Carolina 0
Match 6: No. 2 ETSU 4 vs. No. 3 Wofford 2
Saturday, April 19
Match 7: No. 1 Furman vs. No. 2 ETSU, 1 p.m.