GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Wofford College women's tennis team battled Southern Conference rival Furman Wednesday afternoon, with sophomore Samantha Russell gaining Wofford's point in a 6-1 defeat at Mickel Tennis Center.
 
Russell claimed a victory in singles over Gabby Rodriguez of Furman (9-8, 2-0 SoCon), dropping the first set 4-6 before rallying to take the next two sets 6-2, 1-0 (10-2) to earn her seventh singles victory this season.
 
The Terriers (9-5, 1-2 SoCon) dropped all three doubles matches to the Paladins before losing the first five singles matches as well. Russell closed out the afternoon with a victory for Wofford.
 
Russell and fellow sophomore Lauren Reid competed at the two doubles position and juniors Taylor Carlson and Catherine Martin played at the three doubles position. Both duos lost their matches to Furman opponents 6-2, giving the Paladins the doubles point.
 
Junior Kalli Karas and freshman Cassidy Hicks at the one position were leading 5-3 over Furman's Ansley Speaks and Katarina Weymouth, but the Paladin duo mounted a comeback to force the match into a tiebreaker. Furman ended up taking the tiebreaker and the match 7-6 (8-6).
 
In singles, Martin played Speaks at the number one singles position, with Speaks defeating Martin 6-3, 6-1 in straight sets. Hicks at the two position fell in her match to Weymouth 6-1, 6-2 as well, putting Furman up 3-0 in the match.
 
Reid took the first set 6-4 in her singles match against Furman's Karlee Bryde at the four spot, but Bryde won the next set 6-4 and took the tiebreaker 1-0 (10-3) as well.
 
Karas at the three spot played her opponent Blair Martin close but was edged 7-5, 6-4 by the Paladin.
 
Carlson rounded out the field for Wofford at the six position. She dropped her match to Harper Caswell 6-2, 6-2. Carlson's loss clinched the overall match victory for Furman.
 
Wofford returns to action Saturday afternoon, playing in their final regular-season road match of 2016 at Chattanooga at 2 p.m.