STATESBORO - The Georgia Southern women's tennis team overcame a 3-1 deficit to topple Sun Belt Conference first place South Alabama by a 4-3 score on Saturday morning at the Wallis Tennis Center.

The win extends the Eagles' win streak to seven, and gives Georgia Southern a 15-8 overall record and a 6-3 mark in the Sun Belt. South Alabama falls to 12-5 overall and 7-1 in the league with the loss. Georgia Southern wraps up the 2021 regular season on Sunday morning, hosting Troy at 10 a.m. at Wallis.

South Alabama claimed the doubles point by winning at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles. Charlotte van Diemen and Sophie Wagemaker picked up a 6-3 win at No. 1 doubles over the Jaguars' Carni Moreno and Yurie Takanishi.

The Jaguars picked up a quick singles win at No. 2 singles, but Nadja Meier got the Eagles on the board with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Yu Fujioka at No. 1 singles - handing Fujioka her first Sun Belt singles loss of the year. South Alabama won at No. 4 singles to sit just one point away from clinching the match, but the Eagles tied the score on Paula Hijos' 7-6, 6-1 win over Aina Domingo-Bernabeu at No. 5 singles.

Elizabeth Goines split sets to go into a third set at No. 6 singles while van Diemen was playing a tiebreaker in her second set against Moreno to try and put the Eagles in front. Van Diemen fell behind 4-0 in the tiebreaker, but scored eight of the next 10 points to take an 8-6 win in the tiebreaker and a 7-5, 7-6 win in the match.

Goines then delivered the match for the Eagles by finishing off a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over Diana Monsalve at No. 6 singles. The win was the first for the Eagles in nine tries against the Jaguars since joining the Sun Belt in 2015. South Alabama won the previous matchup this season between the two teams, 7-0, back on March 20th.

"The big difference from today to a couple of weeks ago at South Alabama was that it's nice to play at home at Wallis," Georgia Southern Head Coach Sean McCaffrey said. "We had a whole bunch of fans coming out and getting loud, and that makes things a lot easier. So a big thank you to the crowd was helping us out today. I want to give a bunch of credit to Lot [Charlotte van Diemen] for stepping up and nailing down her match in two sets. I thought we performed well in doubles. We came up just a little short, but we're getting better. In singles, Nadja [Meier] had one of the hottest sets I've seen, she rallied off entire games of winners. Pauli [Hijos] is one of those people who quietly takes care of business. She is a phenomenal player. And then Liz [Goines] is one of the best clinchers I've ever coached. She just finds a way, with her nerves of steel and ice in her veins. I'm super proud of the work she put in today. It was a good day all around."

RESULTS
Singles
Nadja Meier (GS) def. Yu Fujioka (USA) 6-4, 6-3
Nikola Kohoutova (USA) def. Sophie Wagemaker (GS) 6-2, 6-1
Charlotte van Diemen (GS) def. Carni Moreno (USA) 7-5, 7-6 (6)
Otoha Aoki (USA) def. Mila Hartig (GS) 6-4, 6-1
Paula Hijos (GS) def. Aina Domingo-Bernabeu (USA) 7-6, 6-1
Elizabeth Goines (GS) def. Diana Monsalve (USA) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3

Doubles
Charlotte van Diemen/Sophie Wagemaker (GS) def. Carni Moreno/Yurie Takanishi (USA) 6-3
Yu Fujioka/Nikola Kohoutova (USA) def. Elizabeth Goines/Sonja Keranen (GS) 6-3
Otoha Aoki/Aina Domingo-Bernabeu (USA) def. Hannah Daniel/Nadja Meier (GS) 6-1