DECATUR, Ga. - Agnes Scott's tennis program took another step forward this afternoon with a clinical, 6-1, win over visiting Belhaven University (0-14, 0-2 Collegiate Conference of the South). With the win, the Scotties (4-5, 2-2 CCS) put themselves in prime position to make it to their third-straight postseason appearance, as they sit in a tie for third place with Covenant and Maryville. It is the third straight win for the Scotties over Belhaven.
The Scotties once again showed their improvement in doubles this season, dominating from start to finish to get the match off to a strong start. At the #1 position, first-year
Kennadi Reese and senior
Katherine Cox forged ahead early and never looked back, taking out Evey Moore and MIllie Gallarno of the Blazers, 6-1. At the #2 spot,
Taylor Hendley and
Feliz Pearson raised their season record as a duo to 4-3, never dropping a game in a 6-0 rout of Rebekah Nichols and Arica Eason. The Blazers, short a player due to injuries, forfeited the #3 match to the Scottie duo of
Jasmine Ziller and
Sophia Dumitru-Rose.
In singles, Belhaven steadied the ship near the top of the lineup to start the matches, but, in the end, the Scotties depth proved too much for the visitors. Belhaven was forced, once again, to forfeit the #6 spot, giving Ziller the walkover win. Needing only two more match wins, Pearson and Rose, at #4 and #5, respectively, blew past their opponents to leave no doubt of the result. Pearson took out Eason at #4, 6-0, 6-1, just after Rose had taken out Gracyn Martin, 6-0, 6-0 at the #5 spot, giving the Scotties an insurmountable, 4-0 lead with three matches left on.Â
After dropping the first set at the #2 spot,
Taylor Hendley turned things around completely in her matchup with Millie Gallarno, taking out the senior, 2-6, 6-0, 1-0(6). The Blazers would finally get their first match win at the top spot, as the battle of first-year players went to Belhaven, with Nichols taking down Reese, 6-3, 6-0 at the top spot. Finishing off the contest for the Scotties was a strong performance from Cox, who fought back from a 5-3 deficit in the second set to win her match, 6-2, 7-6(1), giving the Scotties the final, 6-1, margin of victory.
The Scotties will next face off on the road with last season's regular season champions, Piedmont (13-4, 3-0 CCS). That match is scheduled for Tuesday, March 31 at 4:00 p.m. on the Piedmont campus.
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