Eagles Rout Mercer 6-1 at Home
2/10/2013 9:47:29 PM | Women's Tennis
VIDEO: Post-win interview with Coach Amy Bonner
STATESBORO, Ga. – The Georgia Southern Women’s tennis team (2-3) took the lead when they won the doubles point and never looked back en route of a 6-1 win over Mercer (1-3) on Sunday afternoon at the Hanner Tennis Complex.
“I’m really proud of the team coming away with the win today after such a tough loss yesterday. The team really came together and worked together to get the doubles point and that really started the momentum of the match,” said Head Coach Amy Bonner. “It was a great day for us and I am really proud of the team for coming together.”
Freshman Mary Phillips Smith (Tallahassee, Fla.) clinched the match for the Eagles in her first collegiate win on her 18th birthday.
“To me that was most of the exciting parts of the match today. She came in in January, graduated high school early and picked up her first win today… very exciting,” said Bonner.
With the Eagles up 3-0, Smith took control in her second set and beat Natalie Franklin 7-6, 6-2 on court four. Junior Paola Garrido (Vigo, Spain) and freshman Stephanie Woods (John’s Creek) picked up wins before Smith’s match winner with Garrido beating Isabel Dennis 6-3, 6-3 at the number one spot and Woods routing Liza Klyachkin 6-4, 6-1, overcoming a 4-1 deficit in the first set. Woods leads the team with most singles wins on the year.
The junior-freshman duo had been successful earlier in the day when they clinched the doubles point for the Eagles, defeating Dennis and Lucy Payrat 8-6 at the number one. Smith also earned her first collegiate doubles win as she teamed up with fellow newcomer Francisca Norregaard (Vedbaek, Denmark) for a 8-4 win over Roxy Bartz and Franklin at the number three doubles position.
“All three doubles matches were very close. It came down to that top court and we were able to pull away with the victory today and it was a great momentum builder for the singles matches today,” said Bonner.
Jordana Klein also picked a win, her fourth of the year. After a tough first set, she quickly finished her second, taking home the win 7-5, 6-1 over Payrat.
Senior Natalie Maffett (Rome, Ga.) determined the final score with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 win over Kealee Heffner at court five.
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics and twitter.com/GSAthletics, and its new "Eagles GATA" mobile app for Android and iOS.
Singles Results
1. Paola Garrido (GSUW) def. Isabel Dennis (MER_W) 6-3, 6-3
2. Jordana Klein (GSUW) def. Lucy Payrat (MER_W) 7-5, 6-1
3. Stephanie Woods (GSUW) def. Liza Klyachkin (MER_W) 6-4, 6-1
4. M. Phillips Smith (GSUW) def. Natalie Franklin (MER_W) 7-6 (7-2), 6-2
5. Natalie Maffett (GSUW) def. Kealee Heffner (MER_W) 6-4, 1-6, 6-2
6. Roxy Bartz (MER_W) def. F. Norregaard (GSUW) 6-4, 6-4
Order of finish: 1,3,4,6,2,5
Doubles Results
1. Paola Garrido/Stephanie Woods (GSUW) def. Isabel Dennis/Lucy Payrat (MER_W) 8-6
2. Liza Klyachkin/Kealee Heffner (MER_W) def. Natalie Maffett/Jordana Klein (GSUW) 8-6
3. M. Phillips Smith/F. Norregaard (GSUW) def. Roxy Bartz/Natalie Franklin (MER_W) 8-4
Order of finish: 3,2,1
