STATESBORO - Georgia Southern women's tennis collected its first Sun Belt Conference win of the year with a 4-2 victory over UL Monroe on Saturday morning at the Wallis Tennis Center in Statesboro.
The Eagles improved to 7-7 overall and 1-3 in the league with the victory, while ULM fell to 6-7 overall and 3-2 in the Sun Belt. Georgia Southern returns to action on Sunday, hosting Louisiana in a 10 am match at Wallis. It will be Senior Day as the Eagles honor their three seniors - Hannah Daniel, Elizabeth Goines and Mila Hartig - in a pre-match ceremony.
Georgia Southern collected the doubles point over the Warhawks with wins at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles. Sophie Wagemaker and Hannah Daniel picked up a quick 6-3 win at No. 3 doubles over Hala Badwy and Daniela Hernandez. Elizabeth Goines and Sonja Keranen then picked up a 6-4 win over Madaltha Grigoriu and Giovanna Pereira at No. 1 doubles.
Both teams picked up three first-set wins in singles. ULM tied the match at 1-all with a straight-set win at No. 5 singles, but Silvia Martinez Jimenez downed Badwy, 6-4, 6-2, at No. 1 singles to put the Eagles back in front. ULM won at No. 3 singles to make it 2-2, and all three remaining singles matches went to third sets.
Paula Hijos delivered the third point for the Eagles with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 win over Alessandra Anghel at No. 2 singles. Sonja Keranen then clinched the victory with a come-from-behind 5-7, 6-4. 7-5 win at No. 4 singles.
"I'm beyond proud of the team today," Georgia Southern Head Women's Tennis Coach Sean McCaffrey said. "We have had a very dialed-in approach to how we find opportunities to improve every day. Today, the team was tasked with simply working on finding a way to fight. And they came together for that task incredibly well. Our doubles has been really good as of late and Liz and Sonja, Hannah and Sophie, and Silvy and Pauli have been doing such a good job of stepping their doubles games up. They put a lot of effort into what they do during practice, and it is clearly showing.
"In singles, Silvy is really beginning to show everyone in the conference that she is an extremely tough player," Coach McCaffrey said. "She simply does not allow others to find 'easy' points. She is always crafting a point the way in which she wants to, and making the other player uncomfortable, which is what we want to do. Pauli and Sonja both came up big in three sets today as well. Hannah should get a bunch of credit for plugging away today as she was just two four points away from winning her own match. Had she not fought in the third, it would have put a lot of pressure on the two ladies next to her, Sonja and Pauli. Her spirit and confident play allowed for some breathing room for her teammates. This team continues to improve each day, regardless of the results, and that's all I ask of them. Tomorrow we get to celebrate our three graduating seniors and play a tough Louisiana team."
RESULTS
Singles
Silvia Martinez Jimenez (GS) def. Hala Badwy (ULM) 6-4, 6-2
Paula Hijos (GS) def. Alessandra Anghel (ULM) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
Oleksandra Balaba (ULM) def. Sophie Wagemaker (GS) 6-1, 6-4
Sonja Keranen (GS) def. Jimena Garbino (ULM) 5-7, 6-4, 7-5
Madalina Grigoriu (ULM) def. Elizabeth Goines (GS) 6-1, 6-2
Hannah Daniel (GS) led Giovanna Pereira (ULM) 6-3, 3-6, 5-2, unfinished
Singles finish: 5, 3, 1, 2, 4
Doubles
Elizabeth Goines/Sonja Keranen (GS) def. Madalina Grigoriu/Giovanna Pereira (ULM) 6-4
Alessandra Anghel/Oleksandra Balaba (ULM) led Silvia Martinez Jimenez/Paula Hijos (GS) 4-3, unfinished
Hannah Daniel/Sophie Wagemaker (GS) def. Hala Badwy/Daniela Hernandez (ULM) 6-3
Doubles finish: 3, 1
