From the Post & Courier:
ELON, N.C. — The College of Charleston won the Southern Conference women's tennis tournament title with a 4-1 victory over top-seeded Furman in the final Sunday at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.
(photo courtesy of cofcsports.com)
"Our girls laid it all on the line and left everything out on the court," said Cougars coach Angelo Anastopoulo, whose second-seeded team improved to 24-4. "They have battled through injuries all season and still managed to rise up to the occasion every time this season. (Sunday) they played the hardest I've ever seen them play.
"Anytime you can beat a team like Furman (17-8), it is special. They are an oustanding team. They have dominated the league year in and year out. We knew going into the tournament that we needed to play better at doubles. During the regular season we were 0-3 at the doubles point against the teams we played in the tournament. We went 3-0 this weekend, and that gave the girls a tremendous boost going into the singles."
The Cougars won their first conference championship since 2003 and secured the SoCon's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The 24 wins represent the most by a Charleston team since earning NCAA Division I status in 1991-92. The NCAA Tournament Selection Show will air on ESPNU at 5:20 p.m. Tuesday.
In doubles play, the teams split matches in the Nos. 1 and 3 spots. At No. 2, Kinsey Casey and Keely Mulligan earned a 9-8 victory to capture a team point for the Cougars.
After Furman won the first match in singles play, Charleston swept matches in the number four, six and two positions to get to the four points needed to clinch the SoCon championship.
Casey (No. 6), Anna Lee Evans (No. 4) and Holly Dowse (No. 2) supplied the singles wins the Cougars needed.
Singles: Laura Gioia (F) d. Laura Borza 6-0, 6-1; Holly Dowse (C) d. Monica Arguello 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; Jessica Preeg (F) vs. Caroline Newman 3-6, 6-3, unfinished; Anna Lee Evans (C) d. Susan Bitetti 6-1, 6-4; Lauren Tomory (F) vs. Keely Mulligan 6-7 (2-7), 6-2, unf.; Kinsey Casey (C) def. Jennifer Betts 7-5, 6-2.
Doubles: Arguello-Gioia (F) d. Evans-Borza 8-1; Casey-Mulligan (C) d. Tomory-Betts 9-8 (8-6); Dowse-Newman (C) d. Preeg-Bitetti 8-5.
--Furman (22-7) won its second straight SoCon men's tennis tournament championship, posting a 4-0 victory over host Elon (21-6). The Paladins earned the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
