ATLANTA, Ga. - Georgia State collected a 4-1 Sun Belt Conference women's tennis victory over visiting Georgia Southern on Friday at the Georgia State-Perimeter College Campus in Atlanta.
The Panthers improved to 16-5 overall and 9-1 in the Sun Belt with the win, while Georgia Southern falls to 11-10 overall and 3-6 in the Sun Belt. The Eagles will wrap up the regular season on Saturday, hosting App State for a 9 a.m. Sun Belt Conference match at the Wallis Tennis Center.
Georgia State claimed the doubles point to start the match by winning at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles. Paula Hijos and Silvia Martinez Jimenez earned a 6-1 win at No. 2 doubles for the Eagles.
In singles, each team collected three first sets. The Panthers notched straight-set wins at No. 3 and No. 5 singles to go up 3-0. Senior Hannah Daniel got the Eagles on the board with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Ellie Aldrich at No. 6 singles.
Sophie Wagemaker split sets in her match at No. 4 singles, while both Hijos and Martinez Jimenez were involved in second-set tiebreakers at No. 2 and No. 1 singles, respectively. As Hijos was trying to clinch her match in straight sets, Martinez Jimenez dropped her tiebreaker in her bid to extend her match to three sets.
"I'm proud of the fight the ladies put up today in a difficult road match," Georgia Southern Head Women's Tennis Coach Sean McCaffrey said. "It seems like we have been every opponent's Senior Day on the road for the last month. But our girls battled through an emotional opponent to take the Conference co-champions to the brink. We were inches away from getting a result and I couldn't be more proud of how we battled to the end today. Now we will rest and recover to get ready for App State tomorrow in less than 24 hours at Wallis."
RESULTS
Singles
Eva Chivu (GSU) def. Silvia Martinez Jimenez (GS) 6-4, 7-6 (6)
Paula Hijos (GS) led Sofya Golubovskaya (GSU) 7-5, 6-6, unfinished
Andrea Stanescu (GSU) def. Sonja Keranen (GS) 6-1, 6-2
Sophie Wagemaker (GS) led Angel Carney (GSU) 7-5, 2-6, 1-0, unfinished
Pragnya Kumar (GSU) def. Elizabeth Goines (GS) 6-1, 6-2
Hannah Daniel (GS) def. Ellie Aldrich (GS) 6-3, 6-3
Singles finish: 3, 5, 6, 1
Doubles
Angel Carney/Sofya Golubovskaya (GSU) def. Elizabeth Goines/Sonja Keranen (GS) 7-5
Silvia Martinez Jimenez/Paula Hijos (GS) def. Ellie Aldrich/Andreea Stanescu (GSU) 6-1
Eva Chivu/Pragnya Kumar (GSU) def. Hannah Daniel/Sophie Wagemaker (GS) 6-1
Doubles finish: 3, 2, 1
