SPARTANBURG, S.C.- After dropping their respective singles openers, Stina Magnusson and Laura Fermosel stormed back with strong play to win their singles back draws, while the pairing of Mary Walker Mixon and Magnusson teamed up to win the doubles back draw C title at the three-day USC Upstate Fall Invitational.
Magnusson dropped her singles opener 6-2, 6-2 on Friday afternoon to Diana Stomlega (Armstrong Atlantic), but won two-straight matches to advance to the finals of the single back draw II final. The sophomore faced Celine Schepers (Presbyterian) in the finals and won her third straight match in straight sets, 6-2, 7-5. It was the second opponent from a Big South school that Magnusson defeated, as she also defeated Natalie Sayer (Radford) 6-1, 6-3, in the first match of the singles back draw.
Fermosel defeated Isabela Castro (Kennesaw State) in her opening singles match, but lost to Gaby Hurt (Western Carolina) in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2 in the second round. After dropping the match, Fermosel fell to the single back draw and went on to defeat Anna Nemeth (6-2, 6-0) and Ruby Kubac, 6-0-, 6-0, both of USC Upstate en route to winning the singles back draw.
Magnusson and Mixon were paired together in doubles play, and after dropping their first match 6-2 to Francisco and Louw, they regrouped winning their next two matches 6-4 and 6-2 respectively to win the doubles back draw C.
In singles, Mixon was entered in the singles draw IV and the junior fared well winning her first two matches, but came up just short in the semifinals, falling to Karlie Pope (Radford) 6-3, 6-1.
Sarah Rieckmann dropped the first set of her opening round match against Claire-Mitchell Andrews (Presbyterian), but stormed back to take the final two sets 6-2, 6-2. Catherine White also was victorious in her opening round match winning 6-1, 6-1, but dropped her next match in a second set tiebreak.
Claire Chase also performed well in the first action of the year, recording victories in her first two match of the singles draw V, but came up just short in the finals, 6-1, 6-0 against Gaby Hurt (Western Carolina).
Gardner-Webb will be back in action Oct. 22 when it travels to Chapel Hill, N.C. to compete in the ITA Regionals.
