Thursday, 04/21/2011

Rock Hill, S.C.----Wingate sophomore Kelli Ferguson (Concord, N.C.) won the deciding match as the number 32 Bulldog women’s tennis team rallied from a 2-1 doubles deficit to take a 5-3 victory over Anderson (S.C.) University Thursday evening in the semi-finals of the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference tournament at the Rock Hill Tennis Center.

Wingate advances to the Food Lion SAC tournament championship match for the first time in school history. The Bulldogs will face Mars Hill College at 12 noon Friday. The Lions topped Brevard College 5-1 Thursday. Wingate improves to 20-1 overall, hitting the 20-win plateau for the second time in school history. The 1996 Bulldog women’s tennis team was 20-4 overall. Anderson is 12-8 overall.

Ferguson and Anderson junior Shelby Anderson (Newmarket, Ontario) put on a clinic on court number five in one of the longest matches of the day. Ferguson took the first set 6-3. The duo battled throughout the second set as the sun set over the horizon and the lights turned on the courts at the Rock Hill Tennis Center. Ferguson clinched the victory with the 7-6 (9-7) set win.

Anderson led 2-1 after doubles. In the April 11 regular season meeting, the Trojans swept the doubles matches. Today, AU freshmen Avery Owens (Clinton, S.C.) and Lauren Trumbull (Anderson, S.C.) teamed up to defeat Wingate freshman Ali Evers (Roswell, Ga.) and junior Samantha Alschlager (Indian Trail, N.C.) 8-6 on court number two to start the day.

Trojan sophomores Camie Beaulieu-Brune (Montreal, Quebec) and Emily Weiland (Sumter, S.C.) edged Ferguson and senior Kara Stasikelis (Greer, S.C.) 8-6 on court number one to give the Trojans the first two points of the match. Bulldog freshmen Olivia Poole (Boca Raton, Fla.) and Morgan Winston (Lawrenceville, Ga.) gave Wingate its first point with an 8-6 number three doubles flight victory over Anderson and senior Julie Halbert (Cesson Sevigne, France).

Beaulieu-Brunet jumped ahead in the first set on court number one, topping Stasikelis 6-2. A four-year All-SAC performer, Stasikelis rallied to take the next two sets 6-1, 6-1 to even the match at 2-2. Poole put the Bulldogs ahead with her 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 victory over Trumbull on court number four.

Winston put the Bulldogs within one match of clinching the victory with her 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Halbert in the number three singles match. Owens kept Anderson within reach, edging Evers in a hard-fought 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 number two singles win. Ferguson followed with her victory to send Wingate to the title contest.