ROCK HILL, S.C. – Mary Ellen Longmire and Keira Stewart of the Presbyterian College women's tennis team reached the final of the Big South Fall Doubles Championship, held Friday-Sunday (Oct. 23-25) at the Rock Hill Tennis Center.
Longmire and Stewart picked up two victories as the No. 4 overall seed in the quarterfinals and semis to advance to Sunday's championship match. The pair defeated the No. 5 seed Brenda Yoris and Natsuki Yamagami of Charleston Southern 8-1 in the quarterfinals before toppling the No. 1 seed Carlota Farrés Carreter and Martina Vazquez of CSU 8-4.
The run for the Blue Hose duo ended in the final, falling to another team from Charleston Southern, Amike Botha and Carlé Botha, by an 8-4 score.
In total, four Blue Hose players competed in the singles and doubles main draws of the Big South Individual Championships.
Paulina Villegas reached the semifinals in singles for Presbyterian. She opened her tournament with a straight-set win over Anna Frost of NJIT 6-2, 6-2 on Friday. In the quarterfinals, she rallied from a set down on Saturday to defeat the No. 4 seed Vazquez of CSU, winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. She went up against the top-seeded Hima Fernando of Longwood in the semis later in the day, falling in two sets.
Roxy Valdes and Keira Stewart also competed in the singles main draw for the Blue Hose.
In doubles, Valdes and Villegas partnered together and reached the semifinals, defeating the No. 7 seed Feline van Eijkelenburg and Alexandra Magia of Longwood 8-4.
RESULTS
SINGLES
R16: [11] Paulina Villegas (PC) def. [6] Anna Frost (NJIT) 6-2, 6-2
R16: [10] Farah Asaad (Longwood) def. [7] Roxy Valdes (PC) 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
R16: [5] Feline van Eijkelenburg (Longwood) def. [12] Keira Stewart (PC) 6-4, 4-6, 7-5
QF: [11] Paulina Villegas (PC) def. [4] Martina Vazquez (CSU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
SF: [1] Hima Fernando (Longwood) def. [11] Paulina Villegas (PC) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
Consolation: [15] Maria sol Alvarez Brandon (UNC Asheville) def. [7] Roxy Valdes (PC) 7-6 (3), 6-2
DOUBLES
QF: [4] Keira Stewart/Mary Ellen Longmire (PC) def. [5] Brenda Yoris/Natsuki Yamagami (CSU) 8-1
QF: [2] Roxy Valdes/Paulina Villegas (PC) def. [7] Feline van Eijkelenburg/Alexandra Magia (Longwood) 8-4
SF: [4] Keira Stewart/Mary Ellen Longmire (PC) def. [1] Carlota Farrés Carreter/Martina Vazquez (CSU) 8-4
SF: [6] Amike Botha/Carlé Botha (CSU) def. [2] Roxy Valdes/Paulina Villegas (PC) 8-2
F: [6] Amike Botha/Carlé Botha (CSU) def. [4] Keira Stewart/Mary Ellen Longmire (PC) 8-4
UP NEXT
The Blue Hose will conclude their fall schedule on Oct. 30-Nov. 1, competing in the Wofford Invite in Spartanburg, S.C.
