Skip to main content
Partner logo
Mobile Icon Link Mobile Icon Link Mobile Icon Link Gamecocks+
Otis Wraps Up Carolina Kickoff with First Career Win
Women's Tennis  . 

Otis Wraps Up Carolina Kickoff with First Career Win

Columbia, S.C.  –  South Carolina women’s tennis wrapped up play at the Carolina Kickoff on Sunday with five singles wins that featured newcomer Alice Otis picking up her first career win in dominating fashion.

Otis, a native of Charleston, S.C., joined the team just days ago at the start of the spring semester. She took on Wake Forest’s Mia Ahmad, a junior. Otis was relentless in the first set, allowing her opponent just one game win. The Gamecock then went on to sweep the second set, finishing with a final score of 6-1, 6-0 for her first win in the Garnet and Black.


Senior Ayana Akli also recorded a straight-sets win on the day. Akli took down No. 27 Casie Wooten of Wake Forest 6-4, 6-1 for her third ranked singles win of the weekend. The Silver Spring, Maryland, native won all three of her singles matches of the weekend in straight sets.

Fellow seniors Elise Mills and Ana Cruz both earned straight-sets wins of their own. Mills took down her opponent 6-2, 6-3 while Cruz shut her opponent down, winning 6-0, 6-1.

The final win of the day came from sophomore Misa Malkin. Malkin breezed through her first set 6-1 and closed out the win with a 6-4 second set.

The Gamecocks will be in action next on Jan. 21 for their first dual meet of the season. South Carolina will host the nation’s No. 3 team NC State at the Carolina Indoor Tennis Center at 1:00 p.m.

For all the latest South Carolina women’s tennis information, continue to follow GamecocksOnline.com or the team on social media (@GamecockWTennis).

Doubles Results

#53 Carol Lee/Kate Sharabura (Georgia Tech) def. Ayana Akli/Gracie Mulville (South Carolina) 6-3

Alejandra Cruz/Kylie Bilchev (Georgia Tech) def. Ana Cruz/Allie Gretkowski (South Carolina) 6-4

Singles Results

#20 Ayana Akli (South Carolina) def. #27 Casie Wooten (Wake Forest) 6-4, 6-1

Nevena Carton (Wake Forest) def. Gracie Mulville (South Carolina) 7-5, 6-4

Elise Mills (South Carolina) def. Whitley Pate (Wake Forest) 6-2, 6-3

Ana Cruz (South Carolina) def. Maddie Lynch (Wake Forest) 6-0, 6-1

Misa Malkin (South Carolina) def. Jingyi Li (Wake Forest) 6-1, 6-4

Alice Otis (South Carolina) def. Mia Ahmad (Wake Forest) 6-1, 6-0