SALISBURY, N.C. (March 10) – Playing a pair of dual matches, the Trojans posted a split after claiming a 4-1 win over Emory & Henry before suffering a 4-1 loss against Catawba in non-conference play on Sunday.
With the split, the University of Mount Olive women's tennis program stands at 3-4 overall while winning three of its previous four matches. The Trojans will play Emmanuel at home on Saturday, March 16, before opening conference play on the road.
Against Emory & Henry, Mount Olive secured the doubles point after registering two wins in the session. Freshman
Valeria Guerrero and senior
Jessica Aylward posted a 6-2 win against Natalie Bergmann and Emma Charlton in the first position. Sophomore
Alina Esser and freshman
Lara Stamereilers produced a 6-4 victory over Karlie Quinn and Sabina Chernega in the third slot. In the second doubles, the match went unfinished with the freshman duo of
Simone Szovan and
Victoria Calle tied 3-3 versus Katie Bradley and Nina Williams.
The Trojans won three singles against the Wasps on Sunday to secure a 4-1 victory. At the first position, Stamereilers delivered a 6-3, 2-1 win against Chernega, who was forced to retire from the match. Guerrero also captured a victory via retirement over Charlton by a score of 5-0 in the second singles. In the third position, Calle suffered a 2-6, 2-6 loss versus Bergmann, but Szovan responded with a 5-7, 6-1, 1-0 (10-1) over Williams in the fourth slot. Freshman
Sara Gajbhiye held a 6-3, 6-6 lead against Bradley in fifth singles before the match went unfinished. The sixth position also went unfinished with Esser and Quinn were tied heading into the third set.
Against Catawba, the Indians captured the doubles points after winning a pair of matches. Guerrero and Aylward suffered a 4-6 defeat to Ami Miya and Rin Igarashi in the first position, while Szovan and Calle fell by a 3-6 margin against Veronika Poliakova and Sofia Hernandez Mera in the second slot.
Catawba claimed three singles matches to seal the 4-1 victory in the final contest on Sunday. Stamereilers dropped a 3-6, 3-6 decision to Miya in the first slot before Guerrero answered with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) win over Mati Moretti at second singles. In the third position, Calle fell by a score of 2-6, 2-6 versus Isidora Zivkovic. The Indians sealed the win after Aylward suffered a 4-6, 3-6 loss in the sixth slot to Hernandez Mera. Szovan had her match end unfinished at fifth singles in the third set, while Gajbhiye held a one-set lead in the fifth position before it also went unfinished.
Mount Olive returns to John Neal Walker Tennis Center on Saturday, March 16, to face Emmanuel at 11 a.m.
