Wingate University Team Page

Brevard, N.C. ----The Wingate University women’s tennis played its first match as the number 29 team in the nation and the Bulldogs celebrated with a 7-2 South Atlantic Conference road victory over Brevard College Saturday at the McCoy Tennis Complex. Wingate sophomore Morgan Winston (Lawrenceville, Ga.) clinched the league win with a 6-0, 6-2 triumph at the number four singles flight.

Wingate improves to 12-4 overall and 5-1 in SAC play. The defending regular season and tournament champion Bulldogs have won 26 of their last 31 league (regular season) contests. Brevard drops to 9-7 overall and 2-2 in the SAC. The number seven team in the always-tough Southeast Region, the Bulldogs host Anderson (S.C.) University Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.

Winston and junior Kelli Ferguson (Concord, N.C.) recorded the first point of the match for the visitors, blanking Elise Labus and Ana Drummond 8-0 in the number three doubles match. In the number two doubles flight, Wingate sophomore Olivia Poole (Boca Raton, Fla.) and freshman Tiffany Williams (Cary, N.C.) downed Brevard’s Lindsay Hostetter and Jennifer Nyman 8-1 to assure the Bulldogs would have the advantage heading into singles play.

The Tornados cut the deficit in half, thanks to an 8-5 number one doubles conquest for Claire Dillman and Michelle Prata over Wingate sophomore Ali Evers (Roswell, Ga.) and freshman Becca Thomas (Alpharetta, Ga.). Dillman and Prata jumped to a 6-1 lead and never looked back. Evers and Thomas are the number 10-ranked doubles team in the Southeast Region.

Williams and Thomas earned the first two singles points for Wingate, putting the Bulldogs within one match of clinching the victory. Winston defeated Brevard’s Jennifer Nyman to claim the big road win.

Ferguson and Evers also added singles wins for the Bulldogs before the crowd gathered to watch the final match on court number three between Poole and Prata. The Brevard sophomore took the first set 7-6 (5), but Poole rallied to even the score with a 6-1 second set triumph. A tie-breaker followed (in lieu of the third set) and Prata recorded the 10-8 victory to take the match between two second-year standouts.

Singles competition
1. Ali Evers (WU) def. Claire Dillman (BC) 6-3, 6-4
2. Becca Thomas (WU) def. Lindsay Hostetter (BC) 6-0, 6-0
3. Michelle Prata (BC) def. Olivia Poole (WU) 7-6 (5), 1-6, 1-0 (10-8)
4. Morgan Winston (WU) def. Jennifer Nyman (BC) 6-0, 6-2
5. Kelli Ferguson (WU) def. Elise Labus (BC) 6-1, 6-1
6. Tiffany Williams (WU) def. Ana Drummond (BC) 6-0, 6-0

Doubles competition
1. Dillman/Prata (BC) def. Evers/Thomas (WU) 8-5
2. Poole/Williams (WU) def. Hostetter/Nyman (BC) 8-1
3. Winston/Ferguson (WU) def. Labus/Drummond (BC) 8-0