Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University women’s tennis team clinched the South Atlantic Conference regular season title with a 6-3 victory over Brevard College Friday evening at the WU Tennis Complex. The Bulldogs have won 17 matches in a row.

With the victory, Wingate is 19-1 overall and 9-0 in the SAC. The BC Tornados are 14-7 overall and 7-2 in the SAC. The Bulldogs are the number 32 team in the Campbell/ITA NCAA Division II national rankings.

The three doubles matches were each decided by 8-6 margins. Brevard got on the board first, as senior Lindsay Shaeffer (Perrysburg, Ohio) and junior Lindsay Hostetter (Livonia, Mich.) defeated Wingate senior Kara Stasikelis (Greer, S.C.) and sophomore Kelli Ferguson (Concord, N.C.) at the number one doubles flight.

The Bulldogs picked up two victories at the number two and the number three flights to take a 2-1 lead going into singles play. Freshman duo Morgan Winston (Lawrenceville, Ga.) and Olivia Poole (Boca Raton, Fla.) won the number three doubles match, while freshman Ali Evers (Roswell, Ga.) and junior Samantha Alschlager (Indian Trail, N.C.) took the number two contest to break the early tie.

Poole won the clincher, as she defeated BC freshman Michelle Prata (Chapel Hill, N.C.) 7-6, 7-6 at the number four singles flight. Both Poole and Evers won two matches each for the Bulldogs Friday. Evers defeated Hostetter 6-0, 3-6, 6-3 at the number two singles flight.

In the battle of the senior number one players, Shaeffer rallied to edge Stasikelis 5-7, 6-3, 6-4. Shaeffer, Stasikelis, Hostetter and Alschlager were named to the All-SAC team in 2010.

Both teams will advance to the Food Lion SAC tournament next week in Rock Hill, S.C. Number one seed Wingate will face the 4/5 winner Thursday at 1 p.m. Number three seed Brevard will face number six seed Tusculum College Wednesday at 1 p.m. The 2011 Food Lion SAC women’s tennis tournament will be held at the Rock Hill Tennis Center.

Women’s Tennis Match Results

Brevard vs #32 Wingate

April 15, 2011 at Wingate, N.C.

Wingate University Tennis Complex

 

#32 Wingate 6, Brevard 3

 

Singles competition

1. Lindsay Shaeffer (BC) def. Kara Stasikelis (WIN) 5-7, 6-3, 6-4

2. Ali Evers (WIN) def. Lindsay Hostetter (BC) 6-0, 3-6, 6-3

3. Claire Dillman (BC) def. Morgan Winston (WIN) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3

4. Olivia Poole (WIN) def. Michelle Prata (BC) 7-6 (1), 7-6 (5)

5. Kelli Ferguson (WIN) def. Jennifer Nyman (BC) 6-2, 6-0

6. Helen Goreski (WIN) def. Elise Labus (BC) 5-7, 6-3, 1-0 (4)

 

Doubles competition

1. Shaeffer/Hostetter (BC) def. Stasikelis/Ferguson (WIN) 8-6

2. Evers/Samantha Alschlager (WIN) def. Dillman/Prata (BC) 8-6

3. Winston/Poole (WIN) def. Nyman/Labus (BC) 8-6

 

Match Notes:

Brevard 14-7 overall, 7-2 SAC

Wingate 19-1 overall, 9-0 SAC; Nat’l ranking #32; Regional ranking #7

Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (2,3,1,5,4,6)

Wingate wins 2011 South Atlantic Conference women's tennis regular season title

Official: Lisa Cunningham