MACON, GA. - For the second match in a row, the College of Charleston women's tennis team (5-3) rallied back from adversity to claim a victory, this time securing the 5-2 win over the Mercer Bears (3-4).
Katherine Schofield and Mara Argyriou struck first and picked up their fifth-straight second flight win Saturday, knocking off Haley Powell and Xandra Fougner by a score of 6-2. The potent pairing is now 6-1 on the season, with its sole loss coming against Wake Forest's No. 51 ranked pairing in the country.
Unfortunately for the College, the Bears played tough in the other two doubles flights, and earned the point thanks to a pair of 7-5 wins. Liza Fieldsend and Rachel McNeely fell to Katia Stravroulaki and Grace Korta in the first flight, while Sarah Jane Jones and Sarah Zschunke succumbed to Roxy Bartz and Katie Sidor in flight three.
Mercer again found the upper hand in a thrilling matchup in flight one, as Fieldsend and Stravroulaki went at it. Stravroulaki pulled out the first set 6-4, but Fieldsend fought back to narrowly claim the second set by way of a 7-6(2) tiebreak win. With the third and deciding set going to a super tiebreak, both ladies played admirably, but it was Mercer who squeaked by with the 10-8 decision.
That proved to be of no consequence however, as the day had already been won by CofC before the conclusion of flight one. Schofield struck first in singles play with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Fougner, followed closely by McNeely and Argyriou who claimed 6-3, 6-4 and 6-1, 6-4 wins in the fourth and fifth flights respectively. Helena Nyikos delivered the clinching point with a 7-6(3), 6-1 win over Roxy Bartz in the sixth flight, while Brooke McAmis scrapped for a 3-6, 6-3, 10-0 win to put a point of emphasis on the Cougars' victory.
The Cougars return to the Lowcounty with a great deal of time off, as their next match isn't for nearly two weeks. Their next contest will present CofC with its first taste of conference play of the season, as they are slated to match up with the Hofstra Pride on March 4.
CofC 5, Mercer 2
SINGLES
Katia Stravroulaki def. Liza Fieldsend – 6-4, 6-7(2), 10-8
Katherine Schofield def. Xandra Fougner – 6-3, 6-2
Brooke McAmis def. Katie Sidor – 3-6, 6-3, 10-0
Rachel McNeely def. Grace Korta – 6-3, 6-4
Mara Argyriou def. Haley Powell – 6-1, 6-4
Helena Nyikos def. Roxy Bartz – 7-6(3), 6-1
Order of Finish: 2, 4, 5, 6, 3, 1
DOUBLES
Stravroulaki/Korta def. Fieldsend/McNeely – 6-4
Schofield/Argyriou def. Powell/Fougner – 6-2
Bartz/Sidor def. Jones/Zschunke – 7-5
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
