#8 Gardner-Webb Blanks #9 Longwood, 4-0, in Opening Round of 2014 Big South Women's Tennis Championship
April 14, 2014 | Women's Tennis
Boiling Springs, N.C. - Wins at No.'s 2 and 3 doubles gave #8 Gardner-Webb the opening point, and the Runnin' Bulldogs grabbed quick three quick singles wins to fight past #9 Longwood, 4-0, on Monday morning in the first round of the 2014 Big South Women's Tennis Championship, presented by Musco Sports Lighting.
GWU won at No. 2 doubles thanks to a tremendous effort from the tandem of Rokia Sacko and Jenny Lunde, who cruised to an 8-1 win against the Lancers' Anna Pelak / Paloma Alatorre pairing.
With a close match at No. 1 doubles, the No. 3 duo of Mary Walker Mixon / Teodora Stanciu took matters into their own hands, winning three straight games to close against Mason Thomas / Bethany Law for an 8-4 win.
The momentum flowed into singles play, where the Runnin' Bulldogs picked up the three singles wins it needed in straight-sets.
Freshman Catherine White (Rock Hill, S.C.) finished her No. 6 singles match first, defeating Law by a 6-2, 6-3 margin. Senior Ronia Hutterli (Duebendorf, Switzerland) outlasted Longwood's Sarah Moomau, 6-3, 6-1, to push GWU within one point of clinching the match.
Minutes later, Lunde, a senior from Oslo, Norway, closed out a 6-3, 6-1 No. 2 singles triumph over the Lancers' Paloma Alatorre to clinch the Runnin' Bulldogs' 4-0 opening round win.
With the win, #8 Gardner-Webb advances to face #1 Charleston Southern. The match between the Runnin' Bulldogs and the Buccaneers is scheduled for Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. at the Webb Tennis Complex.
Singles competition
1. DOOST, Yasmin (GWUW) vs. ALLGURIN, Malin (LONGW) 6-4, 4-4,
unfinished
2. LUNDE, Jenny (GWUW) def. ALATORRE, Paloma (LONGW) 6-3, 6-1
3. HUTTERLI, Ronia (GWUW) def. MOOMAU, Sarah (LONGW) 6-4, 6-2
4. POPKO, Valeriia (GWUW) vs. PELAK, Anna (LONGW) 6-2, 4-5,
unfinished
5. SACKO, Rokia (GWUW) vs. THOMAS, Mason (LONGW) 6-2, 5-4,
unfinished
6. WHITE, Catherine (GWUW) def. LAW, Bethany (LONGW) 6-2, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. DOOST, Yasmin/HUTTERLI, Ronia (GWUW) def. ALLGURIN,
Malin/MOOMAU, Sarah (LONGW) 7-6
2. LUNDE, Jenny/SACKO, Rokia (GWUW) def. PELAK, Anna/ALATORRE,
Paloma (LONGW) 8-1
3. STANCIU, Teodora/WALKER MIXON, Mary (GWUW) def. THOMAS,
Mason/LAW, Bethany (LONGW) 8-4
