Box Score Durham, N.C. – The shorthanded Gardner-Webb women's tennis team had its two-match winning streak come to an end on Saturday afternoon (3/16) as the Runnin' Bulldogs traveled to Durham and lost to streaking North Carolina Central University, 5-2, at the Dr. James W. Young Tennis Courts.

Gardner-Webb, which still posted a 2-1 mark on the week, fell to 4-7 overall (1-1 in Big South).

UNCC, which competes in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference), won its third consecutive match to improve to 3-10 on the season.

The host Eagles flew out to a quick start in the double's competition as the Runnin' Bulldogs No.2 doubles team of senior Katie Watts (Haslet, Texas) and freshman Milica Prokic (Belgrade, Serbia) fell (6-3) to the NCCU tandem of Candice Bernier and Patricia Palencia.

The Dawgs No. 1 tandem of sophomore Emma Shasteen (Floda, Sweeden) and Emilia Roslund (Lund, Sweeden) also lost their doubles match, 6-4, to Jade Houston and Lafi Joao to clinch the doubles point for the hosts.

Gardner-Webb won the doubles match on Court No.3 as graduate senior Courtney Fyvie (Durbam, South Africa) and freshman Alizée Poulin (Beauceville, Quebec, Canada) prevailed 7-6 over Alejandra Hidalgo-Vega and Kennedy Hill.

UNCC led 1-0 heading into the singles competition.

Gardner-Webb would answer back with two triumphs in the singles competition as the Runnin' Bulldogs had to move players up with no one available to compete on Court. No. 6.

Poulin won in No.2 Singles due to a retirement from Bernier while Watts defeated Isabelle Exsted, 7-5, 6-3, in the No. 4 spot.

NCUU then secured four points to clinch the match as Fyvie fell to Houston on Court No.3. and Shasteen lost on Court No. 1 (4-6, 2-6), to Hidalgo-Vega.

On Court No.5, Prokic battled but fell short in three sets (3-6, 7-6, 9-11) to the Eagles Palencia.

NCCU got the No.6 Singles point by walkover as Gardner-Web had no one to compete.

"They (NCCU) are a good team," said Gardner-Webb women's tennis coach Jim Corn. "We had a good team effort but couldn't overcome only having five healthy singles players to a team that good."
 
Up Next — The Runnin' Bulldogs will travel to Clinton, S.C. to take on Presbyterian in a Big South match on Wednesday (3/20) at 2PM. The Dawgs will be back in Boiling Springs on Saturday (3/23) when they play host to Jacksonville State at the Webb Tennis Center at 11:00 AM.