FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: David Beall (@jdbeall21), dbeall@uscupstate.edu
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The USC Upstate women's tennis team braved the cold temperatures Friday evening and knocked off the Charlotte 49ers 5-2 at the USC Upstate Tennis Complex in non-conference action.
The Spartans (2-1) win their second straight match and avenge a 6-1 loss at the hands of Charlotte (0-1) just a year ago on the road.
Upstate trailed early in all three doubles matches, but the Spartans came storming back and the No. 3 doubles tandem of Isabel von Stryk and Sarah Vande Berg set the tone with an 8-5 victory to start the day. After Constanze Kuerten and Talia Rojas fell at No. 2 doubles by the same margin, the first point of the match would be decided by No. 1 doubles.
Julie Bell and Taylor Cohen battled Charlotte's Lisa Grosselius and Anna Ekelund every step of the way, finding themselves deadlocked 8-8 and headed for a tiebreaker. Upstate jumped on top quickly in the seven-point tiebreaker, but the 49ers battled back to pull within a point at 6-5, leaving Bell to serve for the match. The senior connected on her first serve and the return was long of the baseline, giving the Spartans a 7-5 tiebreaker to take the match 9-8 and capture the doubles point.
Cohen doubled up the Spartan lead to open singles play, quickly knocking off Alexandra Zinn 6-2, 6-1 to give Upstate a 2-0 lead. After dropping the No. 6 singles match, the Spartans picked up a win at the No. 3 spot with a 6-0, 7-6 (12-10) victory by Kuerten, while Rojas clinched the match moments later at No. 4 singles with a comeback 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 victory.
Julie Bell added another point for good measure when she defeated Ekelund 7-6, 0-6, 6-4 at No. 5 singles, and the 49ers used a three-set victory at the No. 2 slot for their second and final point of the day in a 5-2 Upstate victory.
The Spartans return to action tomorrow afternoon, traveling to UNC Asheville to take on the Bulldogs in non-conference action. First serve is slated for 3 p.m.
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USC Upstate 5, Charlotte 2
Feb 01, 2013 at Spartanburg, S.C. (USC Upstate Tennis Complex)
| Singles competition |
| 1. Taylor Cohen (UPSTW) def. Alexandra Zinn (CHA) 6-2, 6-1 |
| 2. Natsuko Takayanagi (CHA) def. Isabel von Stryk (UPSTW) 6-4, 0-6, 6-3 |
| 3. Constanze Kuerten (UPSTW) def. Lisa Grosselius (CHA) 6-0, 7-6 (12-10) |
| 4. Talia Rojas (UPSTW) def. Tyler Baker (CHA) 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 |
| 5. Julie Bell (UPSTW) def. Anna Ekelund (CHA) 7-6, 0-6, 6-4 |
| 6. Iveta Guneva (CHA) def. Sarah Vande Berg (UPSTW) 6-4, 6-4 |
| Doubles competition |
| 1. Julie Bell/Taylor Cohen (UPSTW) def. Lisa Grosselius/Anna Ekelund (CHA) 9-8 (7-5) |
| 2. Natsuko Takayanagi/Alexandra Zinn (CHA) def. Constanze Kuerten/Talia Rojas (UPSTW) 8-5 |
| 3. Isabel von Stryk/Sarah Vande Berg (UPSTW) def. Tyler Baker/Jessica Pérez (CHA) 8-5 |
| Match Notes |
| Charlotte 0-1 |
| USC Upstate 2-1 |
| Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (1,6,3,4,2,5) |
