Georgia Southern University
College of Charleston
Women's Tennis Downs Charleston, 5-2, In Home Opener
1/23/2026 4:41:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Georgia Southern starts a four-match homestand off right with win over the Cougars
STATESBORO - Georgia Southern women's tennis picked up its first win of Spring 2026 by knocking off the College of Charleston, 5-2, in its home opener on Friday afternoon at the Wallis Tennis Center.
The Eagles moved to 1-2 on the season, while the College of Charleston falls to 0-1 in its Spring opener. The win was the sixth straight for Georgia Southern over the Cougars. Next action for the Eagles will be on Friday, January 30, hosting Stetson at 10 a.m. at Wallis.
The College of Charleston claimed the doubles point from the Eagles with wins at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles. Mackenzie Leopold and Nanaka Kijima did pick up a 6-3 win at No. 3 doubles.
The Eagles quickly took control in singles with first set wins in five of the six matches. Evelyn Warkentin delivered a quick 6-0, 6-4 win over Sia Cariov at No. 1 singles, then Georgia Southern took a 3-1 lead thanks to Leopold and Lisen Rinman picking up straight-set wins at No. 4 and No. 5 singles, respectively, within minutes of each other. Franzi Heinemann then clinched the victory with a 7-6, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles.
Angelina Mihajlovic provided the final singles point for the Eagles with a 7-6, 7-5 win at No. 3 singles.
"I'm really happy with how the team fought today," Georgia Southern head women's tennis coach Sean McCaffrey said. "You can tell the mark of a good team when they might drop the doubles point, but still find a way to come back and win the match in singles. I feel that all of the singles matches were really competitive. I'm still very impressed with how Evy is systematically taking apart her opponents so far in the early part of the season. We had solid days in singles by Franzi, Mac, Angelina and Lisen. I'm proud of Nana for coming back and pushing to three sets after a real slow start in singles. This team still has a lot more growth left in front of them and I think the sky is the limit for them. I know the squad could use a little rest this weekend and then we have three matches next weekend. More chances to get better!"
Georgia Southern 5, College of Charleston 2
Results
Singles
1. Evelyn Warkentin (GS) def. Sia Cariov (COFC) 6-0, 6-4
2. Franzi Heinemann (GS) def. Francesca Salvato (COFC) 7-6, 6-1
3. Angelina Mihajlovic (GS) def. Riley Trinkle (COFC) 7-6, 7-5
4. Mackenzie Leopold (GS) def. Marra Bruce (COFC) 6-3, 6-3
5. Lisen Rinman (GS) def. Isabella De Luise (COFC) 6-3, 6-4
6. Harper Santos (COFC) def. Nanaka Kijiima (GS) 6-0, 3-6, 6-3
Doubles
1. Sia Cariov/Francesca Salvato (COFC) def. Franzi Heinemann/Evelyn Warkentin (GS) 6-3
2. Harper Santos/Riley Trinkle (COFC) def. Angelina Mihajlovic/Amelie Rosadoro (GS) 6-3
3. Nanaka Kijima/Mackenzie Leopold (GS) def. Marra Bruce/Saige Severance (COFC) 6-3
Order of Finish
Singles: 1, 5, 4, 2, 3, 6
Doubles: 2, 1, 3
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,1,3
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
1,5,4,2,3,6
Players Mentioned
