Jan. 25, 2015

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The No. 23 South Carolina women’s tennis team wrapped up play in Albuquerque, N.M., on Sunday with a 5-2 victory against New Mexico at the Linda Estes Tennis Center to improve to 4-0 this season. The Lobos dropped to 3-1 with the loss.

South Carolina took the doubles point for the fourth time in as many tries, winning handily on courts two and three. At two, Hadley Berg and Caroline Dailey paired up for a 6-1 triumph over Meredith Hopson and Emily Olivier. Freshman Megen Cochran made her first appearance in a dual match for the Gamecocks with Ximena Siles Luna on court three and the duo upended Rachana Bhat and Susan Baklini 6-2 to clinch the 1-0 lead for Carolina.

At No. 1 doubles, South Carolina’s Brigit Folland and Elixane Lechemia trailed Dominique Dulski and Natasha Smith 4-3, but play was stopped once the Gamecocks clinched the doubles point.

Berg wasted no time pushing the Gamecocks’ lead to 2-0 following a 6-1, 6-1 win over Dulski at the No. 4 spot, but the Lobos cut the deficit in half after Hopson countered with a 6-2, 6-3 triumph over Folland on court three. South Carolina, though, responded quickly with No. 120 Lechemia beating No. 75 Olivier in straight sets 6-2, 6-2 at one and Siles Luna clinched the match with a 6-3, 6-1 decision over Bhat on court five.

New Mexico scored its final point of the match when Cochran retired in the second set against Baklini at No. 6 singles after winning the first set 6-4. Baklini led 5-4 in the second when Cochran withdrew. Dailey finished off the afternoon with a 7-6(3), 6-4 win against Smith at No. 2 singles.

South Carolina travels to Charlottesville, Va., for its next contest against No. 5 Virginia on Friday at 5 p.m. The Gamecocks then face instate rival and 14th-ranked Clemson in the Upstate on Sunday at 1 p.m.

#23 South Carolina def. New Mexico, 5-2

Singles
1. #120 Elixane Lechemia (SC) def. #75 Emily Olivier (UNM), 6-2, 6-2
2. Caroline Dailey (SC) def. Natasha Smith (UNM), 7-6(3), 6-4
3. Meredith Hopson (UNM) def. Brigit Folland (SC) 6-2, 6-3
4. Hadley Berg (SC) def. Dominique Dulski (UNM), 6-1, 6-1
5. Ximena Siles Luna (SC) def. Rachana Bhat (UNM), 6-3, 6-1
6. Susan Baklini (UNM) def. Megen Cochran (SC), 4-6, 5-4 retired (injury)

Order of Finish: 4, 3, 1, 5, 6, 2

Doubles
1. Folland/Lechemia (SC) vs. Dulski/Smith (UNM), 3-4 susp.
2. Berg/Dailey (SC) def. Hopson/Olivier (UNM), 6-1
3. Cochran/Siles Luna (SC) def. Bhat/Baklini (UNM), 6-2

Order of Finish: 2, 3