Women's Tennis Battles Elon, Falls 5-2
3/25/2013 11:15:46 PM | Women's Tennis
STATESBORO, Ga. -- Georgia Southern Women's Tennis dropped a tough conference match, 5-2, against Elon on Monday afternoon at the Hanner Tennis Complex. With winds gusting around them, the Eagles managed one win in doubles play and added two in the singles portion of the day.
"I thought we competed well and that everyone was in their match as far as having competitive points," said Head Coach Amy Bonner. "There were a lot of things out of our control today with the weather but I thought that we competed well at several different spots and that we were right there with them."
Picking up wins for the Eagles (6-8, 2-4 SoCon) today were Natalie Maffett and Stephanie Woods in doubles action as well as Paola Garrido and Mary Phillips Smith in singles play.
Senior Maffett and freshman Woods teamed up at the number two doubles spot for an 8-6 win over Maria Camara Ruiz and Viviana Stavreva, giving the duo their team-leading sixth doubles victory.
Sophomore Jordana Klein and junior Caitlin Kitchen fought back from a 3-0 deficit against Briana BerneTaylor Casey and were able to tie the match up at seven before falling 9-7 for the duo's first doubles loss on the year.
Up by one after doubles, the Phoenix claimed straight-set victories on courts six, five, three and two and clinched the match. Garrido and Smith however did not lose focus and earned their seventh and sixth win of the year respectively, both in third set tiebreakers.
"We work a lot on on tiebreakers in match situations, where the score is really close and kind of simulate that in drills in practice so they have prepared for that and are ready for that," said Bonner. "Both Paola and Mary Phillips have played those already this season so I think using that confidence going into it they were ready to play and it was great for them to win those so we got some points on the board."
Garrido dropped her first set against Jordan Johnston 6-4 but came back to take the last two sets 6-3, 1-0 (10-4). Smith came back from a first set loss as well, and defeating her opponent Bryn Khoury 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-7).
Elon (14-3, 4-2 SoCon) earned a No. 73 ranking earlier this year in the week of March 12 and were ranked as high as No. 59 on March 5.
The Eagles stay at home for their next match, hosting UNCG on Saturday, March 30 at 1 p.m.
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 competition
1. Paola Garrido (GSUW) def. Jordan Johnston (ELON) 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-4)
2. Frida Jansaker (ELON) def. Jordana Klein (GSUW) 6-1, 6-4
3. Viviana Stavreva (ELON) def. Stephanie Woods (GSUW) 7-5, 6-0
4. M. Phillips Smith (GSUW) def. Bryn Khoury (ELON) 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-7)
5. Barbora Lazarova (ELON) def. Natalie Maffett (GSUW) 6-1, 6-2
6. Maria Camara Ruiz (ELON) def. Caitlin Kitchen (GSUW) 6-2, 6-2
Order of finish: 6,5,3,2,1,4
Doubles competition
1. Jordan Johnston/Frida Jansaker (ELON) def. Paola Garrido/M. Phillips Smith (GSUW) 8-2
2. Natalie Maffett/Stephanie Woods (GSUW) def. Maria Camara Ruiz/Viviana Stavreva (ELON) 8-6
3. Briana Berne/Taylor Casey (ELON) def. Jordana Klein/Caitlin Kitchen (GSUW) 9-7
Order of finish: 1,2,3
