Sunday, April 2, 2006

NO. 31 BLUE HOSE DOWN NO. 38 TUSCULUM 5-4 IN SAC WOMEN'S TENNIS

CLINTON, S.C. --- Presbyterian College fought back from a 2-1 deficit after doubles to defeat Tusculum College 5-4 in South Atlantic Conference women's tennis action Sunday afternoon at the Templeton Courts. With the victory, the No. 31-ranked Lady Blue Hose (12-3 overall, 6-0 SAC) clinch a share of the 2006 SAC regular season crown while the No. 38-ranked Pioneers fall to 11-6 overall, 4-1 in the league.

Tusculum took control of the match early with a pair of wins in doubles to pull ahead 2-1. Seniors Claudia Bolivar (Armenia, Columbia) and Maria Nevarez (Guayaquil, Ecuador) knocked off PC's duo of junior Catherine Bankhead (Amarillo, Tex.) and freshman Abby Diminich (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) 9-8 (5) at the No. 1 flight, while junior Danae Valderrama (Orlando, Fla.) and freshman Jennifer Sparks (Missouri City, Texas) defeated PC's junior Lauren Brown (Gaffney, S.C.) and sophomore Kari Fuller (Suwanee, Ga.) 8-3 at the No. 3 flight.

The Lady Blue Hose picked up one point at No. 2 doubles as junior Lisa Moyer (Florence, S.C.) and sophomore Brittany Lanford (Florence, S.C.) defeated sophomore Bronwyn Hartley (Beamsville, Ontario, Canada) and freshman Amanda Pike (Elizabethton, Tenn.) 8-2.

PC took their first lead as Bankhead won a three-set victory over Bolivar 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 at the top flight, followed by Brown's three-set victory (3-6, 6-4, 6-1) victory over Valderrama at No. 2. Nevarez evened the match at 3-3 with a 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory over Diminich. Landford gave the Lady Blue Hose the lead for good with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Pike, while PC's Moyer clinched the match with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Hartley. In the final match of the day, TC's Sparks defeated Fuller 6-4, 6-1 at No. 6 singles.

Presbyterian returns to action on Tuesday, April 4 when they host No. 23 Erskine College at 3 p.m. Tusculum returns to action on Friday, April 7 by hosting North Greenville University at 4 p.m.

- TC -

No. 31 Presbyterian 5, No. 38 Tusculum 4
Singles
1 - Catherine Bankhead (PC) def. Claudia Bolivar	2-6, 6-2, 7-5
2 - Lauren Brown (PC) def. Danae Valderrama	3-6, 6-4, 6-1
3 - Maria Nevarez (TC) def. Abby Diminich	3-6, 7-5, 7-5
4 - Lisa Moyer (PC) def. Bronwyn Hartley	6-2, 6-2
5 - Brittany Lanford (PC) def. Amanda Pike	6-1, 6-0
6 - Jennifer Sparks (TC) def. Kari Fuller	6-4, 6-1
Doubles
1 - Bolivar/Nevarez (TC) def. Catherine Bankhead/Abby Diminich	9-8 (5-0)
2 - Lanford/Moyer (PC) def. Hartley/Pike	8-2
3 - Valderrama/ Sparks (TC) def. Brown/Fuller	8-3