Feb. 21, 2015
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GREENVILLE, S.C. — The 20th-ranked South Carolina women’s tennis team recorded a 7-0 victory Saturday at Minor Herndon Mickel Tennis Center in Greenville, S.C., against Furman in its final non-conference match of the year to improve to 7-2. The Paladins dropped to 1-7 with the loss.
The Gamecocks blitzed the Paladins in the doubles point, winning first by an 8-0 score on court three with Megen Cochran and Elixane Lechemia defeating Karlee Bryde and Harper Caswell. Hadley Berg and Caroline Dailey clinched the point with an 8-3 triumph against Blair Martin and Joan van Lochem at No. 2 doubles to give Carolina a 1-0 lead heading to singles. At one, Meghan Blevins and Brigit Folland led Alex Moreno-Kaste and Ansley Speaks 6-4 when play stopped.
South Carolina was met with little resistance in singles play, winning three matches in straight sets quickly to earn the win. Folland dispatched Bryde 6-1, 6-2 at four to finish first and Dailey upended Moreno-Kaste 6-2, 6-2 at No. 2 singles to pull Carolina within a point of securing the win. Lechemia delivered on court one with the clincher by beating Speaks 6-4, 6-1.
Blevins added to the point total soon after Lechemia with a 6-4, 6-2 win against Martin at the No. 3 spot to make it 5-0 for the Gamecocks. Ximena Siles Luna remained unbeaten on the spring with a 6-4, 7-6(2) win over Caswell at five and Natalie Looney came back to defeat van Lochem 5-7, 6-1, (10-8) at the No. 6 singles position to cap off the afternoon. Siles Luna is now 6-0 in dual matches and 13-5 overall.
South Carolina gets SEC play started next week when it hosts No. 27 Auburn at 5 p.m. at Carolina Tennis Center on Friday. Eighth-ranked Alabama then visits the Palmetto State for a noon match-up on Sunday, March 1.
#20 South Carolina def. Furman, 7-0
Singles
1. #111 Elixane Lechemia (SC) def. Ansley Speaks (FU), 6-4, 6-1
2. #121 Caroline Dailey (SC) def. Alex Moreno-Kaste (FU), 6-2, 6-2
3. Meghan Blevins (SC) def. Blair Martin (FU), 6-4, 6-2
4. Brigit Folland (SC) def. Karlee Bryde (FU), 6-1, 6-2
5. Ximena Siles Luna (SC) def. Harper Caswell (FU), 6-4, 7-6(2)
6. Natalie Looney (SC) def. Joan van Lochem (FU), 5-7, 6-1, (10-8)
Order of Finish: 4, 2, 1, 3, 5, 6
Doubles
1. Blevins/Folland (SC) vs. Moreno-Kaste/Speaks (FU), 6-4 susp.
2. Hadley Berg/Dailey (SC) def. Martin/van Lochem (FU), 8-3
3. Megen Cochran/Lechemia (SC) def. Bryde/Caswell (FU), 8-0
Order of Finish: 3, 2