CLINTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College women's tennis team fell to the Radford Highlanders on Saturday afternoon on the program's Senior Day, 6-1.
PC moves to 8-14-1 on the year and 0-7 in the Big South. The Blue Hose next play on Sunday at Coastal Carolina in a match at 1 p.m. Radford improves to 7-9 on the year, 2-3 in the Big South and plays at Gardner-Webb on Sunday at 1 p.m.
After the match, the team honored its three seniors Patricia Alves (Campinas, Brazil), Courtney Gardiner (Powder Springs, Ga.) and Lucia Leahy (Charlotte, N.C.). All three rank in the top 10 for PC's Division I singles victories, with Alves tied for the D-I record (42). Alves also holds the program's Division I doubles record (36).
The Blue Hose swept all three doubles matches before Radford took the singles action.
In doubles, PC grabbed 8-5 wins at the top two flights and picked up an 8-3 victory at No. 3. Gardiner and Greer Ransom (Athens, Ga.) pushed past Gemma Valls and Taylor Newman at the top flight while Alves and Caroline Ferrari (Rome, Ga.) handled Meg Napolitano and Grace Sarver at No. 2. At the third flight, Caroline deLoach (Columbia, S.C.) and Kayla Stanford (Canton, Ga.) sailed past Gisela Garcia and Taylor Fay.
Ferrari took her match to three sets against Napolitano in singles action before falling at the fifth flight, 6-2, 5-7, 6-0. Ransom nearly took a second set from Valls at the second flight, 6-2, 7-5, as did Leahy against Garcia at No. 5, 7-5, 6-2. At No. 1, Newman won over Alves, 6-1, 6-2, and Fay bested Stanford at No. 6, 6-2, 6-4. Sarver wrapped up singles play with a fifth-flight win deLoach, 6-3, 6-3.
Singles competition
1. NEWMAN, Taylor (RAD) def. ALVES, Patricia (PCW) 6-1, 6-2
2. VALLS, Gemma (RAD) def. RANSOM, Greer (PCW) 6-2, 7-5
3. NAPOLITANO, Meg (RAD) def. FERRARI, Caroline (PCW) 6-2, 5-7, 6-0
4. SARVER, Grace (RAD) def. deLOACH, Caroline (PCW) 6-3, 6-3
5. GARCIA, Gisela (RAD) def. LEAHY, Lucia (PCW) 7-5, 6-2
6. FAY, Taylor (RAD) def. STANFORD, Kayla (PCW) 6-2, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. RANSOM, Greer/GARDINER, Courtney (PCW) def. VALLS, Gemma/NEWMAN, Taylor (RAD) 8-5
2. ALVES, Patricia/FERRARI, Caroline (PCW) def. NAPOLITANO, Meg/SARVER, Grace (RAD) 8-5
3. deLOACH, Caroline/STANFORD, Kayla (PCW) def. GARCIA, Gisela/FAY, Taylor (RAD) 8-3
