CONWAY, S.C. - The Presbyterian College women's tennis team fell to Coastal Carolina in the Big South Conference opener for both squads Sunday as the Blue Hose were defeated by a 7-0 count.
The Blue Hose now stand at 1-3 on the season and 0-1 in Big South play.
"We were more competitive today than we have been in the past," head coach Tyler Davis said. "We are now beginning to compete with the teams in the upper half of the conference."
On the doubles side, the duo of Cara Caruso and Heather Isbell teamed up to knock off Kim Webb and Maria Camberos by an 8-4 score at the No. 3 spot. Megan Davis and Abby Diminich, playing the No. 2 position on the double side of things, fell by an 8-3 score to Tina Petkova and Patricia Cortes.
PC was unable to win the doubles point as Paige Oelke and Virginia Waldron were defeated 8-1 by Lexi Bolesky and Caitlyn Brooksbank at the No. 1 slot.
Davis' squad pushed the preseason No. 2 Big South team to the brink in a couple of the singles matches.
Heather Isbell, playing the No. 2 position, took the first set from Petkova 6-4. After the two played extra points in the second set (that Petkova won 7-5), Isbell was unable to get the win, falling 10-7 in the third and decisive set.
Waldron, coming off a solid win against Kennesaw State, also took the first set against Camberos by a 6-4 score. She then lost a heartbreaker in the second set, falling 7-6 (8-2). Waldron, despite her best effort, lost the third set 10-5 at the No. 6 slot.
At No. 5, Oelke tangled with Cortes. Oelke, just a freshman, pushed Cortes to her limit in both sets, but eventually fell by a 6-4, 7-5 score.
Diminich, the No. 1 seed, was unable to pull off a victory against Bolesky, falling 6-2, 6-2. Davis dropped her match against Webb by a 6-1, 6-2 count at the No. 3 position while Caruso lost 6-2, 6-2 to Brooksbank at the No. 4 slot.
The Blue Hose step out of conference play for a while as they continue on the second of three consecutive road matches before returning home Feb. 15. PC will make the trek to Florence, S.C., for a Friday afternoon showdown with Francis Marion at 2:30 p.m.
Coastal Carolina 7, Presbyterian 0
Singles competition
1. BOLESKY, Lexi (COASTAL) def. DIMINICH, Abby (PC) 6-2, 6-2
2. PETKOVA, Tina (COASTAL) def. ISBELL, Heather (PC) 4-6, 7-5, 10-7
3. WEBB, Kim (COASTAL) def. DAVIS, Megan (PC) 6-1, 6-2
4. BROOKSBANK, Caitlyn (COASTAL) def. CARUSO, Cara (PC) 6-2, 6-2
5. CORTES, Patricia (COASTAL) def. OELKE, Paige (PC) 6-4, 7-5
6. CAMBEROS, Maria (COASTAL) def. WALDRON, Virginia (PC) 4-6, 7-6 (8-2), 10-5
Doubles competition
1. BOLESKY, Lexi/BROOKSBANK, Caitlyn (COASTAL) def. OELKE, Paige/WALDRON, Virginia (PC) 8-1
2. PETKOVA, Tina/CORTES, Patricia (COASTAL) def. DAVIS, Megan/DIMINICH, Abby (PC) 8-3
3. CARUSO, Cara/ISBELL, Heather (PC) def. WEBB, Kim/CAMBEROS, Maria (COASTAL) 8-4
