Carolina Downs Texas Tech, 4-1
LUBBOCK, Texas – The No. 25-ranked South Carolina women’s tennis team earned its second-straight win after a, 4-1, defeat of Texas Tech on Friday evening at the Lubbock Country Club.
After a six-hour delay due to cold temperatures in Lubbock, the Gamecocks (3-2) and Red Raiders (2-3) got started at 6 p.m. ET at the Lubbock Country Club where only four courts were available for play.
“We had been waiting to play the match all day and knew that when the match was switched to in altitude we would be faced with a challenge,” head coach Kevin Epley said. “However, the girls responded and fought hard. Texas Tech is always a tough team so it’s definitely good to get a win (Friday).”
In doubles, Texas Tech claimed the first win of the day with Bojana Marinkov and Reagan Collins topping Elise Mills and Kennedy Wicker, 6-3, on court three.
Needing to win on the two remaining courts, Mia Horvit and Megan Davies were facing off with No. 35-ranked Lisa Mays and Nell Miller at the No. 1 position. The two went back-and-forth before the Gamecocks broke away for a, 5-3, lead. The Red Raiders threatened their win making it 5-4. Horvit and Davies were able to take the final game, defeating their ranked opponent, 6-4.
With just one match left, all eyes were on court two where No. 20 Emma Shelton and Silvia Chinellato and No. 52 Olivia Peet and Margarita Skriabina were battling. At the time court one finished, the Gamecocks trailed by one, 5-4. Doubles point on the line, Shelton and Chinellato won three-straight games, earning a, 7-5, victory and putting South Carolina up, 1-0, heading into singles.
Texas Tech came out and evened the overall score after Miller won her match opposite of Chinellato, 6-2, 6-1, on court four.
Wasting no time putting her team back on top, No. 22-ranked Davies prevailed over Mays in straight sets at the No. 2 position, 6-4, 6-4. In the first set, Davies was able to break free from a, 4-4, tie, taking it, 6-4. In the second set, Davies held a, 5-1, lead before Mays won three games in-a-row, making it, 5-4. Davies then stopped the Red Raider and won, 6-4.
With the match at 2-1 in favor of Carolina, No. 25 Horvit was in a toe-to-toe third set with Peet at the No. 1 spot. After Horvit quickly took the first set, 6-2, Peet forced a third set with a, 7-5, victory. The two traded games, finding themselves tied, 4-4, in the deciding set. Horvit got into a groove, claiming two-consecutive games and her match, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
On court four, Shelton was also in a third set, facing off against Skriabina. Shelton began the match by topping the Red Raider, 6-4. Skriabina stormed back, defeating Shelton in the second set, 6-2. Shelton ended her match by winning three-straight games over Skriabina, winning, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, and clinching the overall match for the Gamecocks, 4-1.
Up next, South Carolina and Denver meet for the first time in program history in a neutral-site match on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET. Live scoring will not be available for Sunday’s match, but live streaming with score bugs will be available to fans.
For more information on the Gamecocks, follow the team on social media (GamecockWTennis) and continue to check back with gamecocksonline.com. Subscribe to South Carolina on Stanza to get schedule updates directly in your calendars.
