FLORENCE, S.C. (Feb. 5) – On the final day at the City of Florence Invitational, the Trojans posted a split after claiming a 4-2 win over Bluefield State before suffering a 4-3 loss to Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday.

With the split, the University of Mount Olive women's tennis team moves to 1-4 overall after playing three dual matches to open the spring campaign. The Trojans continue a full spring schedule with seven dual matches this month, including four at home.

Against Bluefield State, Mount Olive secured the doubles point after registering two wins in the session. Senior Liza Voloshyna and junior Nele Weber posted a 6-3 win against Shreya Chakraborty and Juliana Jimenez in the first position. Senior Ingrid Montserrat and freshman Oriana Izarra in the second doubles recorded a 6-0 win over Daniela Cruzado and Virginia Zanotti. In the third slot, the match went unfinished with junior Jessica Aylward and freshman Lea Edelstein leading 5-3 versus Adriana Torroba and Paulina Moreno.

The Trojans won three of five singles matches on Saturday to secure the 4-2 win over the Big Blue. At the first singles, Monserrat fell by a 6-2, 6-2 margin to Chakraborty, who ranked No. 11 in the Atlantic Region in the fall. Voloshyna responded with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Jimenez in the second position before Izarra registered a 6-3, 6-4 win against Torroba in the third slot.  In the fourth singles, Weber delivered a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Cruzado, but Aylward was dealt a 6-3, 6-2 loss by Zanotti in the fifth slot. Freshman Harshri Asher, a spring addition to the team, held a 6-2, 3-2 advantage in the sixth position versus Ghita Courdi in an unfinished match.

Against Lenoir-Rhyne, the Bears captured the doubles point after winning a pair of matches. Montserrat and Izarra suffered a 6-1 defeat to Evgeniya Pugina and Natalie Lutz in second doubles, while Aylward and Edelstein fell by a 6-4 margin against Sandy Mitsou and Jessica Fuchs in the third position.

Lenoir-Rhyne edged out UMO in the singles session by claiming three of the six matches. Montserrat dropped a 6-3, 6-4 decision to Pugina in the first slot before Voloshyna answered with a 6-0, 6-1 win against Alicia Wahlberg in the second singles. In the third position, Izarra suffered a 6-2, 7-6 (9-7) loss to Lucy Whelan before Weber claimed a 6-2, 6-4 victory versus Lutz in the fourth slot. The Bears earned the match win after Aylward fell by a 6-1, 6-1 margin to Mitsou, while Asher secured her first collegiate win by a score of 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 against Dawson Clifford.

The Trojans return to the court on Saturday, Feb. 11, when they travel to face Lenoir-Rhyne in a rematch in non-conference play, at 2 p.m.