Tuesday, April 17, 2007

 

CANTU RALLIES AS TUSCULUM WOMEN EDGE CATAWBA 5-4,

PIONEERS ADVANCE TO SAC TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS

 

                GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Samantha Cantu rallied from a set down to win a three-set thriller at No. 3 singles as third-seeded Tusculum College edged No. 6 Catawba College 5-4 in a quarterfinal match of the 2007 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Women's Tennis Tournament.  Tusculum (15-5) advances to Saturday's semifinal against the winner of Tuesday's Newberry/Wingate match, which will be held at TC's Nichols Tennis Complex beginning at 9 a.m.

 

                Catawba (13-12) jumped out to a 2-1 advantage after doubles play as the visitors captured points at the top two flights.  Lauren Fluegge (Avondale, Ariz.) and KT Rebadow (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) outlasted the Tusculum duo of Danae Valderrama (Orlando Fla.) and Cantu, 8-6 at No. 1 doubles.  Julia McKinzie (Austin, Texas) and Andi Binney (Cocoa Beach, Fla.) tallied Catawba's second point with an 8-4 pro set win over Bronwyn Hartley (Beamsville, Ontario, Canada) and Caroline Crowe (Johnson City, Tenn.) at the second flight.  TC salvaged a point at No. 3 doubles as Amanda Pike (Elizabethton, Tenn.) and Jennifer Sparks (Missouri City, Texas) defeated Meri Cartmill (West Barnstable, Mass.) and Nikiah Knox (Stratham, N.H.) 8-1.

 

                The two teams would split the first four singles matches.  Valderrama defeated Fluegge 6-4, 6-3 at No. 1 singles, while McKinzie answered with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over TC's Sparks at No. 2 singles.  Hartley rebounded from her doubles set back with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Rebadow at the No. 4 flight, while Caroline Knox gave the Catawba Indians a 4-3 advantage with her 6-4, 7-6 victory at the No. 6 singles.

 

                Pike tied the match at 4-4 with her grueling 7-6, 7-5 win over Cartmill at No. 5 singles, leaving the third flight match as the deciding point.

 

                Binney captured the first set 6-4, but Cantu (Sugarland, Texas) answered with a 6-0 win in the second frame.  Cantu, the reigning SAC Player of the Week, sent TC to the semifinals with her 6-3 triumph in the final set.

 

                This marks the second time Tusculum and Catawba have played to a 5-4 decision this season.  Last month, Catawba posted a one-point win over the Pioneers in Salisbury, N.C.

 

- SAC -

 

No. 3 Tusculum 5, No. 6 Catawba 4

 

Singles

 

1 - Danae Valderrama (TC) def. Lauren Fluegge

6-4, 6-3

2 - Julia McKinzie (CAT) def. Jennifer Sparks

6-1, 7-5

3 - Samantha Cantu (TC) def. Andi Binney

4-6, 6-0, 6-3

4 - Bronwyn Hartley (TC) def. KT Rebadow

6-3, 6-1

5 - Amanda Pike (TC) def. Meri Cartmill

7-6, 7-5

6 - Nikiah Knox (CAT) def. Caroline Crowe

6-4, 7-6

Doubles

 

1 - Fluegge/Rebadow (CAT) def. Valderrama/Cantu

8-6

2 - McKinzie/Binney (CAT) def. Hartley/Crowe

8-4

3 - Pike/Sparks (TC) def. Cartmill/Knox

8-1

Records: Tusculum 15-5; Catawba 13-12