SPARTANBURG, SC – The Gardner-Webb women's tennis team battled back from a 2-0 deficit and won four of the final five matches to defeat the USC Upstate Spartans, 4-3, in its Big South Conference opener.

USC Upstate won the first doubles match, 6-3, in the No. 1 flight, but Valentine Limauge and Manon Delsol defeated Elin Hellberg and Victoria Saldh in the No. 2 position, 6-3.

The doubles point came down to the No. 3 flight, and the Spartans' Noelia Acuna and Gabriella Cevallos narrowly escaped Mayumi Saguchi and Adrienne Vesely, 7-5, to take a 1-0 lead.

The Spartans extended their advantage to 2-0 win a win in the No. 6 singles flight, but the Runnin' Bulldogs reeled off four victories over the final five matches for the come from behind road victory.

In the No. 5 position, Saguchi won Gardner-Webb's first match of the day, 6-3, 6-1, and Delsol defeated Vale Zarama at No. 4 with a pair of 6-4 victories.

Delsol's win tied the match, and although Upstate would pull ahead thanks to a three-set victory at No. 1, Limauge and Daniela Naupari helped Gardner-Webb begin Big South play with a victory.

Limague's 6-2, 0-6, 6-3 win over Maria Jardim meant a battle between Naupari and Acuna in the No. 2 flight would determine which team was victorious.

After cruising to a 6-2 win in the first set, Naupari clinched the match victory with a 7-6 win in set two.

The 'Dogs now are now 2-3 overall and 1-0 in Big South play. The Spartans fall to 1-9 and 0-3 in conference action.

Gardner-Webb will continue to battle teams on the road with a trip to Big South opponent Charleston Southern on Saturday, March 9 before making the drive to College of Charleston for a non-conference battle the following day. Both matches are scheduled for 1 p.m.