SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford College women's tennis team battled to a 6-1 victory over the Presbyterian College Blue Hose Tuesday afternoon at Reeves Tennis Center.
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The Terriers (9-4, 1-1 SoCon) started the match by taking two of three doubles matches to earn the first point. The Blue Hose (9-9, 0-5 Big South) played Wofford tough in singles however, forcing third sets in four of the six matches to keep it close down the stretch.
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"This match was all about heart," Head Coach
Krissy Hall said after the match. "We fought and we competed until the very last point on every court and I am so proud of this team."
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Junior
Kalli Karas and freshman
Cassidy Hicks began the day for Wofford with a doubles win over Presbyterian's Demi Henschel and Caroline Ferrari 6-3 at the one position. Sophomores
Lauren Reid and
Samantha Russell also won their doubles match at the two spot 6-3 over Tracy Johnson and Claire-Mitchell Andrews, giving Wofford the overall doubles point.
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The Blue Hose did win the last doubles match at the three position. Nicole Croxton and Celine Schepers defeated Wofford juniors
Taylor Carlson and
Catherine Martin 6-4.
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In singles, Karas earned a resounding victory over Henschel at the three position, cruising to a 6-0, 6-1 victory to put Wofford up 2-0. Martin at the one position finished next, battling close with Schepers and winning the match 7-5, 6-3.
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The next four matches all went to a decisive third-set tiebreaker. Carlson lost her match at the six position to Nicole Croxton, dropping the first set 6-2 before battling back in the second and taking it 6-0. Croxton however won the third set 7-5 to give Presbyterian their first point of the match.
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Hicks at the two position however sealed the overall match for Wofford. After dropping the first set to Johnson, Hicks rallied to take the next two sets and earn a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 win.
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Reid and Russell also competed in singles for Wofford. Reid at the four position fell in her first set before fighting to take the next two sets in a close 1-6, 7-6, 7-5 victory. Russell at the five position won her first set 7-6 but lost her next set 6-7 before winning the final set 6-4 to earn the match victory.
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The win snaps a two-match losing streak to Presbyterian and gives Wofford a 6-2 series advantage since the 1995-96 season when the Terriers started at the Division I level. The Terriers also matched their win total from last season with Tuesday's victory.
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Wofford returns to Southern Conference action in their next match, traveling to play SoCon-rival Furman in Greenville, S.C., March 30 at 3 p.m.
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