The Centre women’s tennis team topped Piedmont 9-0 on Saturday, then fell to 13th-ranked Sewanee by a score of 8-1 on Sunday afternoon to open the spring 2017 campaign. The Colonels, ranked 14th in the Oracle/ITA Division III Women’s Atlantic South Regional Rankings, move to 1-1 on the season.
Against the Lions, 2016 SAA Newcomer of the Year Neha Rao (London, Ky.) picked up where she left off following her freshman season, earning a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 1 singles after posting an 8-0 victory at the top doubles slot with junior Aliza Williams (Cincinnati, Ohio). Williams also won in straight sets at No. 2 singles.
Freshman Abigail Kent (College Station, Texas), sophomore Emily Zelichenok (Louisville, Ky.), senior Courtney DeLong (Louisville, Ky.) and freshman Zena Maddux (Hopkinsville, Ky.) each added wins in singles action for Centre.
In doubles action, the tandems of Kent and Zelichenok as well as senior Mary Chapin Snow (Elizabethtown, Ky.) and Maddux won by a combined score of 16-1 in the No. 2 and No. 3 positions, respectively.
On Sunday, Williams grinded out an 11-9 triumph in the third set tiebreaker to top Ellie Czura at No. 2 singles.
Rao was edged in the third set tiebreaker by a score of 7-5 at the hands of Clem Davila at top singles.
The Colonels are back in action at DePauw on Friday, Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Centre 9, Piedmont 0
Singles competition
1. Neha Rao (CENTRE) def. Morgan Buchholz (PCW) 6-0, 6-1
2. Aliza Williams (CENTRE) def. Durden Smith (PCW) 6-0, 6-0
3. Abigail Kent (CENTRE) def. Amanda Blackwell (PCW) 6-2, 6-1
4. Emily Zelichenok (CENTRE) def. Simona Floyd (PCW) 8-1
5. Courtney DeLong (CENTRE) def. Karina Rivera (PCW) 8-1
6. Zena Maddux (CENTRE) def. Tabea Soelter (PCW) 8-1
Doubles competition
1. Aliza Williams/Neha Rao (CENTRE) def. Amanda Blackwell/Durden Smith (PCW) 8-0
2. Abigail Kent/Emily Zelichenok (CENTRE) def. Morgan Buchholz/Simona Floyd (PCW) 8-1
3. Mary Chapin Snow/Zena Maddux (CENTRE) def. Tabea Soelter/Tatiana Burkett (PCW) 8-1
#13 Sewanee 8, Centre 1
Singles competition
1. Clementina Davila (UOS) def. Neha Rao (CENTRE) 1-6, 6-1, 7-5
2. Aliza Williams (CENTRE) def. Ellie Czura (UOS) 6-1, 5-7, 11-9
3. Taylor Childress (UOS) def. Abigail Kent (CENTRE) 6-1, 6-2
4. Maggie Crumbliss (UOS) def. Emily Zelichenok (CENTRE) 6-2, 6-0
5. Haley Tucker (UOS) def. Courtney DeLong (CENTRE) 6-0, 6-2
6. Darby Duval (UOS) def. Zena Maddux (CENTRE) 6-1, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Clementina Davila/Darby Duval (UOS) def. Neha Rao/ Emily Zelichenok (CENTRE) 8-5
2. Ellie Czura/Maggie Crumbliss (UOS) def. Aliza Williams/Abigail Kent (CENTRE) 8-3
3. Haley Tucker/Taylor Sprouse def. Mary Chapin Snow/ Zena Maddux (CENTRE) 8-1
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Liam P. Halferty
