Women's Tennis | 4/18/2015 6:48:00 PM

Box Score

Brevard, N.C.----The top-seeded and 49th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs defeated number three seed and 28th-ranked Queens University 5-3 in the championship match of the 2015 South Atlantic Conference women's tennis tournament Saturday afternoon. Five of the six singles matches went to a third set on Saturday. The Bulldogs win their 14th straight match, improving to 16-4 overall. Wingate has now won four of the last five SAC Tournament championships. The 'Dogs have also won five consecutive regular season titles, giving Wingate nine SAC championships in the last five seasons.

"I am so proud of these ladies," head coach Michael Cabana says. "We fought in every match and had tons of heart! Queens is a very good team and they played great. It's an awesome feeling to be coming home with two championships."

The Bulldogs won two of three doubles matches Saturday afternoon. The number one doubles team of sophomore Andrea Ternera (Bogota, Colombia) and senior Becca Thomas (Alpharetta, Ga.) picked up an 8-4 victory. The second team All-SAC doubles team of freshmen Oroma Womeodu (Memphis, Tenn.) and Maria Garcia (San Carlos, Venezuela) prevailed 8-6 at number two doubles to give Wingate a 2-1 lead heading to singles play.

Queens tied the match with a win at number one singles, but Thomas put Wingate back on top, rallying for a 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 win at number five singles to make it 3-2. The senior is now 14-0 against NCAA Division II opponents this year. Womeodu dropped a tough match at number three singles. She lost the opening set 7-6, falling in the tiebreaker 7-3. The freshman responded with a 6-4 win in set two, but Marta Gonzalez of Queens won set three 6-3 to tie the match 3-3.

Three matches remained and all were in a third set. Wingate won the final two matches in a matter of seconds to clinch the title. Garcia won 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 to put the Bulldogs on top. Less than a minute later, junior Caroline Holland (Spartanburg, S.C.) clinched the victory. Holland lost her first set 6-3, but won a tiebreaker 7-4 to claim a 7-6 win in the second set and force a third set. She won the final frame 6-2 to give the Bulldogs another SAC title.

Garcia was named the SAC Tournament MVP. The freshman went 2-0 in singles play and doubles play during the SAC Tournament. She is 16-3 in singles this season, while teaming with her classmate Womeodu for a 15-5 mark in doubles play.

The SAC Tournament championship gives Wingate an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. This will mark the fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance for the Bulldogs.