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VIDEO | Claudia De Andreis Interview
VIDEO | Championship Point

Rock Hill, S.C.----In a match that started at noon and ended just before midnight, the second-seeded and 14th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs defeated the top-seeded and 17th-ranked Tusculum University Pioneers 4-2 in the championship match of the 2019 South Atlantic Conference women's tennis tournament. Wingate improves to 20-1 overall, while the Pioneers fall to 17-3 on the season.

THOUGHTS FROM MICHAEL CABANA

"I'm so happy for these ladies! It was a tough day and they prevailed. To have these seniors win the tournament is special. It was a great team win and we were able to find a way to pull it out." 

DOUBLES

- The nation's 34th-ranked duo of Claudia De Andreis and Chyi Lee won 6-3 at two doubles
- The 38th-ranked team of Michela Verpelli and Alisa Rudenko led 5-4 at one doubles and were serving with the game at deuce when the rain started
- The rain delay hit at 1:30 with the 'Dogs a point away from winning the doubles point
- The match resumed a little after 8:30 p.m.
- Rudenko and Verpelli won the first point after the delay to win 6-4 and claim the doubles point
- Wingate took a 1-0 lead into singles play

SINGLES

- The nation's 57th-ranked player, Rudenko rolled to a 6-3, 6-3 win at two singles
- Tusculum won at three singles to get on the board, cutting Wingate's lead to 2-1
- Verpelli, ranked 24th nationally, knocked off the 2019 SAC Player of the Year 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 at one singles to make it 3-1
- The Pioneers picked up the victory at four singles to make it 3-2
- The senior De Andreis won the clincher at five singles, prevailing 6-4, 7-5 to give WU the title
- Camilla Ciaccia was up a set at six singles when the 'Dogs clinched the championship

NOTES

- Wingate moves to 5-1 against ranked opponents this season
- The Bulldogs are the top-ranked team in the NCAA Southeast region poll
- WU avenges a 4-3 loss at Tusculum earlier this season, snapping a 76-match SAC winning streak
- The 'Dogs were appearing in their fifth straight SAC title match and eighth in nine years
- The Bulldogs snapped a skid of three straight losses in the SAC championship match
- Wingate now has five SAC tournament titles all-time; all since 2011
- The 'Dogs won three straight tourney titles from 2011-2013
- WU has piled up 13 total conference championships since the 2011 season
- Verpelli and Rudenko move to 13-4 at number one doubles on the year
- The duo of De Andreis and Lee move to 13-3 on the season
- Verpelli improves to 15-1 at one singles this year and 33-3 in her career
- Rudenko goes to 14-3 in singles play in her first year at Wingate 
- De Andreis is a perfect 14-0 in singles play this year; she now has 51 career singles victories
- Verpelli was named the tournament MVP, going 3-0 at one singles and one doubles
- Rudenko also went 3-0 at one singles and one doubles in the tourney
- De Andreis was 2-0 in singles and doubles play during the tournament

UP NEXT

- Wingate earns the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament
- The Bulldogs are the top-ranked team in the most recent NCAA Southeast Region poll
- The top two teams in the region earn hosting duties in regionals
- WU is looking to earn hosting duties for the second straight season