March 20, 2015

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COLUMBIA, S.C. — The No. 43 South Carolina women’s tennis team upset No. 27 Mississippi State, 4-3, on Friday night at Carolina Tennis Center in Columbia, S.C., to improve to 10-6 and 3-4 in the SEC. The Bulldogs fell to 13-4 and 3-3 in the league.

South Carolina dominated the doubles matches from the start, as the Gamecocks never trailed on any of the three courts. Hadley Berg and Caroline Dailey finished first with an 8-3 victory against Martina Frantova and Naomi Tran at the top spot. Soon afterward, Elixane Lechemia and Ximena Siles Luna followed with an 8-3 triumph of their own against Timea Guibe and Louise Ronaldson at three to clinch the point.

On court two, Brigit Folland and Meghan Blevins held a 7-4 advantage against Jasmine Lee and Georgiana Patrasc when Siles Luna and Lechemia clinched the point. Play was subsequently suspended since the point had been decided.

Folland raced out to a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Frantova in singles at the No. 3 slot to make it 2-0 for the Gamecocks. South Carolina had won first sets on courts four and six to that point, while the Bulldogs claimed first sets on courts one, two and five.

Mississippi State responded with Patrasc taking down Dailey at No. 2 singles by scores of 6-3, 6-2 to cut the deficit in half. Following her win, Blevins took a 4-2 lead in the second set over Ronaldson at four and Siles Luna recovered from a 3-1 deficit in the second set after winning the first against Guibe at six to lead 4-3. The Bulldogs were in full control of courts one and five with leads of 5-2 and 4-0 in the second sets after taking the firsts.

Lee closed on Lechemia on court one 7-5, 6-2 to pull MSU even with the Gamecocks, but moments later, Siles Luna completed her second set comeback to defeat Guibe 6-3, 6-3 to put Carolina back ahead, 3-2. Next, Jennifer Brown downed Berg 7-6(3), 6-0 at No. 5 singles to set up the finale on court four to decide the winner.

Blevins won her first set handily against Ronaldson, 6-2, and then ran the second set to 5-2 after a lengthy seventh game in which she managed to hold serve. Ronaldson got the hold in the next game, but Blevins held once again, using some serve and volley on match point to put pressure on her opponent and grab the 6-2, 6-3 win in the process.

The Gamecocks will host No. 17 Ole Miss on Sunday at noon followed by South Carolina State at 6 p.m. The Rebels suffered a 5-2 loss at No. 2 Florida tonight and enter the match 11-5 and 3-4 in the SEC.

#43 South Carolina def. #27 Mississippi State, 4-3

Singles
1. Jasmine Lee (MSU) def. #74 Elixane Lechemia (SC), 7-5, 6-2
2. Georgiana Patrasc (MSU) def. Caroline Dailey (SC), 6-3, 6-2
3. Brigit Folland (SC) def. Martina Frantova (MSU), 6-2, 6-2
4. Meghan Blevins (SC) def. Louise Ronaldson (MSU), 6-2, 6-3
5. Jennifer Brown (MSU) def. Hadley Berg (SC), 7-6(3), 6-0
6. Ximena Siles Luna (SC) def. Timea Guibe (MSU), 6-3, 6-3

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

Doubles
1. #53 Berg/Dailey (SC) def. Frantova/Naomi Tran (MSU), 8-3
2. #45 Blevins/Folland (SC) vs. Lee/Patrasc (MSU), 7-4 susp.
3. Lechemia/Siles Luna (SC) def. Guibe/Ronaldson (MSU), 8-3

Order of Finish: 1, 3