No. 17 Gamecocks Top No. 27 Wake Forest, 4-3

Feb. 28, 2016

Pos.	Matchup	Score
1.	#82 Kimmy Guerin (WF) d. #71 Caroline Dailey (USC)	6-3, 6-2
2.	Emma Davis (WF) d. #108 Paige Cline (USC)	7-6 (2), 6-4
3.	#118 Ingrid Gamarra Martins (USC) d. Anna Ulyashchenko (WF)	4-6, 6-2, 6-3
4.	Hadley Berg (USC) d. Joanna Zalewski (WF)	6-1, 6-4
5.	Brigit Folland (USC) d. Samantha Asch (WF)	6-3, 6-0
6.	Luisa Fernandez (WF) d. Ximena Siles Luna (USC)	7-6 (5), 4-2 (Ret.)

Pos.	Matchup	Score
1.	Berg/Cline (USC) d. Ulyashchenko/Guerin (WF)	6-2
2.	Davis/Asch (WF) d. Folland/Dailey (USC)	6-4
3.	Martins/Siles Luna (USC) d. Fernandez/Retolaza	6-4

WINTON-SALEM, N.C. — No. 17 South Carolina women’s tennis backed up its newly acquired top-20 ranking with an impressive 4-3 road win over No. 27 Wake Forest on Sunday at the Wake Forest Tennis Center. The Gamecocks jumped out to a 3-0 lead thanks to the doubles point and quick wins in singles by sophomore Hadley Berg and junior Brigit Folland and held on late as No. 118 Ingrid Gamarra Martins rallied for a three-set win to deliver the victory to the Garnet and Black.

Carolina got going in doubles with a 6-2 win from Berg and freshman Paige Cline at court one as the duo improved to 4-0 this spring at the top of the lineup. Junior Brigit Folland was inserted into doubles for just the second time this spring, paired with junior Caroline Dailey at No. 2, but the duo fell 6-4. The Gamecocks, however, would clinch the pivotal doubles point thanks to a 6-4 triumph at No. 3 by Martins and senior Ximena Siles Luna.

The Gamecocks quickly extended the lead to 3-0 in singles as Berg ended freshman Joanna Zalewski’s streak of 12-consecutive wins with a 6-1, 6-4 victory at No. 4, and Folland captured a 6-3, 6-0 triumph at No. 5 for her seventh spring win. Wake, however, mounted a rally as No. 82 Kimmy Guerin topped No. 71 Caroline Dailey at No. 1 and freshman Emma Davis defeated Cline at No. 2, pulling the Demon Deacons to within one at 3-2.

Needing one more match to seal the win, Martins and Siles Luna both dropped their first sets at courts three and six. Martins however, found her rhythm as the 118th-ranked singles player stepped up in sets two and three to earn a hard-fought 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over freshman Anna Ulyashchenko. Siles Luna, meanwhile, put up a strong fight at No. 6 before retiring to make it a 4-3 final in favor of the Gamecocks.

Quotable

Head Coach Kevin Epley

“This is the second week in a row when one of the girls stepped up to clinch when we needed it. The team has been working hard the last three weeks and the results are starting to show. We feel very good about things moving into the first week of the SEC season.”

Notables

The Gamecocks improve to 3-0 against top-30 opponents.
South Carolina won the doubles point for the eighth time in 10 matches this spring.
With her win at No. 4, sophomore Hadley Berg moved to 8-0 this spring and 15-2 overall this season.
Freshman Ingrid Gamarra Martins is now 2-0 in three-set matches this spring, which leads the team.

Up Next

Carolina kicks off SEC play next weekend with a pair of home matches. The Gamecocks square off with Missouri on Thurs., Mar. 3, at 5 p.m., before matching up with No. 48 Arkansas on Sat., Mar. 5, at 1 p.m. Parking and admission to all home matches are free.