No. 23 Gamecocks Secure Double Header Sweep

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The No. 23 South Carolina women’s tennis team picked up two wins against Charlotte and SC State on Saturday afternoon at the Carolina Tennis Center. To start the day, the Gamecocks defeated the Niners 4-0 and followed suit against the Bulldogs, earning a commanding 5-0 victory. 

VS. CHARLOTTE

The South Carolina duo of Kaitlyn Carnicella and Jane Dunyon opened the match on court one, securing a 6-3 victory. From court 3, No. 37 Helena Buchwald and Lauren Friedman fell to No. 20 Ni Xi and Sarah Suchankova, 6-4. On court five, Jana Stojanova and Sara Borkop won 7-6(4) in a tiebreaking game, clinching the doubles point for the Gamecocks. 

To open up singles play, the Gamecocks claimed first-set victories on four of six courts. Buchwald earned a win in straight sets over Nakano, 6-1, 6-2, securing the first singles point. No. 80 Carnicella sealed the Gamecocks’ second singles point with a resolute 6-2, 7-5 upset win over No. 76 Ni Xi. Taylor Goetz and Dunyon dropped their opening sets before responding with respective victories in the second frame. Their third sets were marked unfinished after Stojanova won her court 6-3, 7-6(4), and secured the win for South Carolina. 

No. 23 South Carolina 4, Charlotte 0

Doubles (order of finish: 2, 1, 3)

1. No. 20 Ni Xi & Sara Suchankova (CLT) def. No. 37 Lauren Friedman & Helena Buchwald (USC) 6-4
2. Kaitlyn Carnicella & Jane Dunyon (USC) def. Lucia Aranda & Yelyzaveta Chainykova (CLT) 6-3
3. Sara Borkop & Jana Stojanova (USC) def. Shona Nakano & Andrea Chacon (CLT), 7-6(4)

Singles (orders of finish: 2, 1, 6)

1. No. 80 Kaitlyn Carnicella (USC) def. No. 76 Ni Xi (CLT) 6-2, 7-5
2. Helena Buchwald (USC) def. Shona Nakano (CLT) 6-1, 6-2
3. Sara Borkop (USC) vs. Sara Suchankova (CLT) 7-5, 0-4, unf.
4. Taylor Goetz (USC) vs. Lucia Aranda (CLT) 2-6, 6-3, 2-1, unf.
5. Jane Dunyon (USC) vs. Yelyzaveta Chainykova (CLT) 6-7, 6-2, 1-0, unf. 
6. Jana Stojanova (USC) def. Prisca Abbas (CLT) 6-3, 7-6(4)

VS. SC STATE

In the second contest of the day, South Carolina claimed two doubles victories. Carnicella and Dunyon held their opponents scoreless in a 6-0 victory. Stojanova & Borkop followed up with a dominant 6-1 win, earning the doubles point for the Gamecocks.

Buchwald, Stojanova and Carnicella all won their second singles match of the day, holding their opponents to no more than two points in a set. Dunyon won the third singles match of the day with a straight-sets victory, 6-1, 6-0, her first of the day. Stojanova secured the fourth singles point, winning 6-0, 6-1, confirming the Gamecocks’ second victory. Carnicella finished simultaneously with Stojanova, finishing as the only players to contribute two singles and two doubles points on the day.

No. 23 South Carolina 5, SC State 0

Doubles (order of finish: 5, 6)

1. No. 37 Lauren Friedman & Helena Buchwald (USC) vs. Ashikha Amalnathan & Valeria Teran (SCST) 5-1, unf.
2. Kaitlyn Carnicella & Jane Dunyon (USC) def. Katerina Marsalkova & Danica Nedeljkovic (SCST) 6-0
3. Sara Borkop & Jana Stojanova (USC) def. Iriela Rajabelina & Tuhina Sambhus (SCST) 6-1

Singles (orders of finish: 2, 5, 6, 1)

1. No. 80 Kaitlyn Carnicella (USC) def. Katerina Marsalkova (SCST) 6-1, 6-2
2. Helena Buchwald (USC) def. Ashikha Amalnathan (SCST) 6-0, 6-1
3. Sara Borkop (USC) vs. Valeria Teran (SCST) 6-2, 3-0, unf.
4. Taylor Goetz (USC) def. Iriela Rajabelina (SCST) 6-1, 5-0, unf.
5. Jane Dunyon (USC) def. Danica Nedeljkovic (SCST) 6-1, 6-0
6. Jana Stojanova (USC) def. Tuhina Sambhus (SCST) 6-0, 6-1

The Gamecocks kick off conference play on Sunday, Feb. 22, as they host No. 1 Georgia at the Carolina Tennis Center. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m.