College of Charleston
No. 28 Princeton
No. 58 Cougars Narrowly Edged by No. 28 Tigers, 4-3, in Catfight on the Court
3/17/2010 1:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
58th-ranked CofC (10-8, 4-0 SoCon), who jumped nine sports in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll that was released today, won the doubles point with victories at the first and third seeds. Senior Holly Dowse (Tuncurry, Australia/Forster) and junior Emma Hayman (Wanganui, New Zealand/New Mexico) defeated the 19th-ranked pair in the country 8-5 for their fifth consecutive win at the top doubles spot. The duo ranks 76th in the nation on the latest ITA poll.
Seniors Laura Borza (Toronto, Ontario/Mary Ward Secondary) and Anna Lee Evans (Vilas, N.C./Watauga) clinched the doubles point with an 8-5 victory over Sarah Hoffman and Melissa Sainontz. The pair is now 4-1 on the year as a team. Junior Kinsey Casey (Alpharetta, Ga./Northview) and freshman Irene Viana (Paris, France/Lycee de Mongeron) played a close match at the No. 2 spot before falling 8-5.
The Cougars took a 2-0 lead in the match after Borza earned a 6-2, 6-0 win over Taylor Marable at the No. 4 singles spot. Princeton (10-5, 0-0) answered with wins at the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th seeds. Top-seeded Dowse took the first set 7-5 over No. 81 Hilary Bartlett and was up 5-4, 30-love in the second set before Bartlett mustered a comeback. Bartlett eventually won the second set 7-5 and took the third set, 6-3, for the win.
Hayman also held on for a large portion of her singles match at the No. 2 spot. Tied at one set apiece, Hayman held a 5-4 lead in the third set before Melissa Saiontz answered, earning the 7-5 victory.
Junior Keely Mulligan (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep) closed the gap between the two teams with her win as the sixth seed. After dropping the first set, 7-5, she rallied to win the next two sets 6-3, 6-3. The win punctuated a five-hour match, but the Tigers had already escaped with the win.
"Although this was a heartbreaking loss to a top team, I know this will help us prepare for some difficult upcoming Southern Conference matches," said head coach Angelo Anastopaulo. "We had many chances to win the match, but Princeton showed a lot of fight to pull out the victory. With our No. 3 and 4 players out today, it gave some other players a chance to showcase their talents and I was very proud of their performances."
Charleston ends its 11-match homestand tomorrow with a double-header against Massachusetts and Presbyterian College. The matches will begin at 1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively. As always, fans can follow the action via Live Stats at www.cofcsports.com.
Singles
1. No. 81 Hilary Bartlett (PRIN) def. Holly Dowse (CofC) 5-7, 7-5, 6-3
2. Melissa Saiontz (PRIN) def. Emma Hayman (CofC) 6-4, 6-7, 7-5
3. Rachel Saiontz (PRIN) def. Irene Viana (CofC) 7-5, 6-3
4. Laura Borza (CofC) def. Taylor Marable (PRIN) 6-2, 6-0
5. Ashley Blakely (PRIN) def. Anna Lee Evans (CofC) 6-2, 6-7, 6-3
6. Keely Mulligan (CofC) def. Monica Chow (PRIN) 5-7, 6-3, 6-3
Doubles
1. No. 76 Holly Dowse/Emma Hayman (CofC) def. No. 19 Hilary Bartlett/Taylor Marable (PRIN) 8-5
2. Ashley Blakely/Rachel Saiontz (PRIN) def. Kinsey Casey/Irene Viana (CofC) 8-5
3. Laura Borza/Anna Lee Evans (CofC) def. Sarah Hoffman/Melissa Saiontz (PRIN) 8-5
Players Mentioned
