Women's Tennis Championship Starts on Friday
SUMTER, S.C. – After opening round victories by Converse and Lees-McRae, the higher seeds of Belmont Abbey and Emmanuel prevailed in the Quarterfinals of the 2021 Conference Carolinas Women’s Tennis Championship at the Palmetto Tennis Center on Friday.
The fourth seed, Belmont Abbey, will face top-seeded Erskine in Semifinals #1, while #3 Emmanuel faces #2 Mount Olive in Semifinals #2 on Saturday.
Tournament Central (LINK)
Opening Round
#5 Converse 4, #8 Barton 3
Converse continued their hot streak by producing their seventh win in a row while picking up the program’s first-ever Conference Carolinas Championship victory with a 4-3 win over Barton.
The Valkyries battled in the doubles portion to earn the point winning 6-3 at No. 2 and 6-4 at No. 3. Barton tallied a 6-3 win at No. 1.
The Bulldogs took a 3-2 lead with two matches to play picking up wins at No. 1 as Marissa Stevenson downed Maria Belen Vendrell 6-1, 6-2.
After wins at No. 3 and No. 6 for Barton and No. 2 for Converse, the match would focus on the showdown at No. 4 and No. 5 positions.
Marleen Prinz opened the match with a 6-1 opening set victory before Grace McCartney battled in the second to win 7-6. Prinz would respond to even the match at 3-all with a 6-1 set three victory.
Anna Klasson battled back at the No. 5 position after dropping the first set 6-3, to post a pair of 6-4 wins in the second and third sets to earn Converse the victory.
#6 Lees McRae 4, #7 Southern Wesleyan 2
Lees-McRae got off to a quick start winning the doubles point as Zrynep Cakirer and Mei Hiramatsu won easily 6-0 at No. 2, and Laura Ocampo and Tessa Wells won 6-2 at No. 3.
Southern Wesleyan picked up wins in singles play as No. 1 Ameek Batth picked up a 6-3, 6-0 win and Maria Kotsiou won 6-4, 6-3 at No. 3. Laura Campo closed out the match for the Bobcats at the No. 5 position with a 7-6, 6-2 victory.
Quarterfinals
#4 Belmont Abbey 4, #5 Converse 1
Belmont Abbey was able to overcome the early deficit after doubles action as Converse earned the point with a 6-1 and 6-4 win at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles.
The Crusaders quickly took the lead with Carlie Davis picking up a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 6 and Elliott Peterson won 6-1, 6-1 at No. 3. Kayla Vaughan and Sylvia Goldsmith grinded out three-set victories at No. 1 and No. 2 positions to clinch the match.
#3 Emmanuel 4, #6 Lees-McRae 1
Emmanuel earned the doubles point as Julia Ramons and Kristina Khmelevskai won at the No. 2 position 7-5 after Emmanuel picked up the win at No. 1.
Laura Ocampo for Lees-McRae won 6-0, 6-2 to put the Bobcats on the board at the No. 5 position. Emmanuel won at No. 6 and No. 4 positions before Elisa Man-Hsuang finished off the match with a 7-5, 6-1 victory at No. 3.