STATESBORO - Sophomore Nanaka Kijima closed out a come-from-behind three-set singles win to give No. 67 Georgia Southern a 4-3 victory over visiting South Carolina State on Thursday afternoon at the Wallis Tennis Center.

The Eagles (11-1) ran their current win streak to five with the win over the Bulldogs (4-2) and won their first match since cracking the ITA's Division I team rankings on Tuesday.

Georgia Southern collected the all-important doubles point in the match with a 6-0 win by Sonja Keranen and Ninon Martinache at No. 2 doubles, as well as a 6-3 win by Silvia Martinez and Lindsay Tulenko at No. 1 doubles.

South Carolina State came out in singles play and won four of six first sets. Tulenko extended the Eagles' lead to 2-0 with a quick 6-2, 6-0 win over Rachida Berjane at No. 3 singles, then Ninon Martinache made it a 3-0 lead with her 6-3, 6-3 win over Semlali Hind at No. 2 singles.

The Bulldogs would tie the match, however, with straight-set singles wins at No. 5 and No. 6 singles, as well as a three-set win at No. 1 singles, pushing all the attention to court four. South Carolina State's Nalanda Silva took the first set in a tiebreaker, but Kijima rallied for a 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 win to clinch the victory.

"That South Carolina State team was definitely not the same team we played last year," Georgia Southern head women's tennis coach Sean McCaffrey said. "So much credit goes to them for showing up and putting up a huge fight against us. They really had us battling and trying to find ways to deal with much of their power.

Going up 3-0, having that slip away to 3-3, but then being able to close out a 4-3 win is not easy in the least. In those scenarios, some teams succumb to hearing the 'footsteps' of the other team sneaking up on you. But somehow, Nanaka was able to dig so deep and battle for that 6-4 deciding set to take the match for the team. She was an absolute queen on the court today!

"I feel doubles, at times today, was some of the best we put together all year long," McCaffrey said. "Particularly with Silvia and Lindsay controlling their match the way they did, and Sonja and Ninon have been nothing short of unstoppable this season. At one point for about 20 minutes, all three courts were each playing perfect doubles. That's a great takeaway for us. In singles, I was pleased that Silvia found a way to push her match to three sets, but her opponent was simply just a little steadier and found holes where we couldn't answer. We needed that quick match from Lindsay, who played phenomenal tennis and controlled just about everything she could to take the win. And Ninon, who has been lights out all season, again stepped up and played some brilliant tennis. But I think the day definitely belonged to Nanaka. Losing the first set, knowing her match was the deciding one in order for her team to win, and then even being down early in the 3rd - she stepped up big time and willed herself to win the match for her team!"

Georgia Southern's scheduled Saturday match against Charleston Southern has been postponed due to anticipated wet weather this weekend. The Eagles will be next in action on Saturday, March 9, hosting Troy at 10 a.m. in their Sun Belt Conference opener from Wallis.

RESULTS
Singles
1. Sofiya Chursina (SCSU) def. Silvia Martinez (GS) 6-1, 1-6, 6-3
2. Ninon Martinache (GS) def. Semlali Hind (SCSU) 6-3, 6-3
3. Lindsay Tulenko (GS) def. Rachida Berjane (SCSU) 6-2. 6-0
4. Nanaka Kijima (GS) def. Nalanda Silva (SCSU) 6-7, 6-2, 6-4
5. Teodora Vujicic (SCSU) def. Mackenzie Leopold (GS) 7-6, 6-2
6. Feriel Mahbouli (SCSU) def. Paula Hijos (GS) 7-5, 6-3

Doubles
1. Silvia Martinez/Lindsay Tulenko (GS) def. Sofiya Chursina/Semlali Hind (SCSU) 6-3
2. Sonja Keranen/Ninon Martinache (GS) def. Rachida Berjane/Feriel Mahbouli (SCSU) 6-0
3. Nalanda SIlva/Teodora Vujicic (SCSU) led Mackenzie Leopold/Sophie Wagemaker (GS) 5-4, unfinished