SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Gardner-Webb women's tennis team came on strong on the final day of play at the Big Southern Shootout, winning two out of the three doubles against Middle Tennessee State University and winning three of the five singles against host Wofford University.
 
All three victories in singles matches were tough wins with super tiebreakers for the third set.
 
At the ITA Division I Women's Carolina Regional in Chapel Hill, NC on October 16-18, the Runnin' Bulldogs faced some of the top players in the country and acquitted themselves well with perseverance through multiple rounds of play.  Five players saw action during this event.
 
In first round doubles play, Emma Shashteen and Arili Boshoff (GWU) defeated Stewart/Roberts from Western Carolina University 8-7 (4).
 
In the second round of doubles, Shashteen and Boshoff lost to Yu/An from Duke 8-1.
 
In other doubles first round play, Natalie Crawford and Greta Murzsa (GWU) fell to Friedman/Borkop of the University of South Carolina 8-1.
 
In the main draw of first round singles, Emma Shasteen (GWU) lost to the number two seed Ange Oby Kajuru from UNC-Chapel Hill 6-1, 6-0.
 
In the succeeding consolation match Shasteen (GWU) defeated Kim Auerswald from East Carolina University 7-6 (5), 6-1.
 
In first round singles of the qualifying draw, Garder-Webb saw wins from 
Alizée Poulin (GWU) over Xenia Jeromin of East Carolina University 6-1, 7-5 and Arili Boshoff (GWU) over Lucia Gomez of UNC-Wilmington 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-4.  Natalie Crawford (GWU) fell in three sets to Yelyzayveta Chainykova of UNC-Charlotte 6-2, 6-7 (10), 6-1.
 
After advancing to the second round of qualifying, Poulin (GWU) lost to number 7 seed Heidi Bulger from Wake Forest University 6-1, 6-1. 
 
Boshoff (GWU) fell in the second round of qualifying to the number 8 seed Sankavi Gownder from Wake Forest University 6-1, 6-0.
 
Crawford (GWU) followed a first round loss by defeating Reese Calvo of East Carolina University 6-4, 6-4 in her consolation match.
 
Coach Jim Corn noted at this point in the season, "It's good to the team making steady improvement through the tough competition."
 
Next, Gardner-Webb will play at the Big South Conference Individual Championships in Rock Hill, S.C. on October 24-26.