May 13, 2016
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The lower half of the lineup came through once again as No. 13 South Carolina women’s tennis took down in-state foe Winthrop, 4-2, on Friday in the First Round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Carolina Tennis Center. The Gamecocks (19-7, 9-4) advance to the Second Round for the third-straight year under head coach Kevin Epley, where they will take on No. 17 Georgia Tech Saturday at 2 p.m., with a trip to the Round of 16 in Tulsa, Okla., on the line.
In doubles, South Carolina overcame an early Winthrop lead with a pair of wins at No. 2 and No. 3. Following a 6-4 win by Winthrop at No. 1, Carolina’s No. 3 tandem of freshmen Ingrid Gamarra Martins and Rachel Rohrabacher stormed to a 6-3 win with Martins finishing the match by smashing a strong forehand that forced an Eagle error. The Gamecocks then secured the doubles point as juniors Brigit Folland and Caroline Dailey closed out a 6-4 victory at No. 2 after an Eagle return went long.
South Carolina looked to maintain control of the match in singles as Folland, Martins, Berg and senior Ximena Siles Luna all captured first-set wins. Folland would quickly extended the lead to 2-0 after powering her way to a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 5, marking her 25th win of the season and 18th in dual-match play. Winthrop, however, battled back as the Eagles’ top player cut into the lead with a 6-3, 6-3 victory, before Eagle Mariana Humberg claimed a tight 7-5, 6-3 match at No. 3 over Cline.
Much as they have throughout the season, the Gamecocks dug deep when it mattered most. After splitting her first two sets, Berg took a commanding 4-1 lead in the third on her way to a 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 victory. Siles Luna, who clinched a win against Princeton in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament last season, came through with another clutch performance, taking a straight-set victory and delivering the win for the Gamecocks.
With their win today, the Gamecocks have now won at least one round in the NCAA Tournament 19 times in their 22-consecutive appearances. South Carolina’s streak of 22 straight bids is tied for the 11th-longest active streak in the country and their 26 overall appearances is 13th most in NCAA history.
Quoting Coach Epley
Opening Statement
“Well we’re happy to get through that; that was a battle. They obviously came here to play. They made us battle. They fought us hard, and I think we came out a little bit nervous on a couple courts. It could have gone either way, and I was happy we were able to step up in the end and get the win.”
On how the Gamecocks won the match
“It’s great. We got the doubles point, and Brigit (Folland) took care of business, so having two points up there was a big boost. You could see the four points coming when you’re at two, so that was a big help for the rest of the team. Hadley (Berg) played pretty well, and it was very fitting. It’s the story of our season.
Match Changer
With the match tied at 2-2, the lower half of the lineup stepped up. Sophomore Hadley Berg blasted her way to a 6-1 win in her third set at No. 4, before senior Ximena Siles Luna put the match away with a straight-set victory at No. 6.
Notables
- South Carolina advances to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the 19th time during its current streak of 22 straight NCAA appearances.
- South Carolina’s 19 wins this season marks its most since 1995.
- Sophomore Hadley Berg and junior Brigit Folland remain tied for the team lead in wins with 25 this season and 18 in dual-match play.
- South Carolina moves to 11-0 all-time versus Winthrop.
- Head coach Kevin Epley moves to 11-11 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
Up Next
Carolina takes on No. 17 Georgia Tech in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Carolina Tennis Center. The winner will advance to Tulsa, Okla., where the final 16 teams in the field will compete for the National Championship May 19-24.
