ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Bronwyn
Hartley accounted for a pair points, including the
match-winner as No. 2 seed Tusculum defeated top-seed Carson-Newman
5-1 to win the 2008 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Women's
Tennis Tournament title. The semifinal and final were held at the
Rock Hill Tennis Center.
Tusculum (20-3) wins its ninth straight match, while capturing its
second SAC Tournament title in school history. With the win, the
Pioneers (No. 37 in NCAA Division II) also punch their ticket for
next month's NCAA Tournament, earning the league's automatic bid.
For the Lady Eagles (12-2), they now await word of a possible
at-large bid for the NCAA postseason.
Tusculum jumped out to a 3-0 advantage after sweeping doubles,
Hartley (Beamsville, Ontario, Canada) and No. 3 doubles partner
Blake Thompson recorded the first point of the
match with an 8-2 win over Emily Sorah (Bristol,
Tenn.) and Stephanie Douglas (Knoxville, Tenn.).
At No. 1 doubles, Caroline Crowe (Johnson City,
Tenn.) and Katelyn Doss (Bristol, Va.) posted an 8-3 victory
against the C-N duo of Taryn Cappadonna (Kennesaw,
Ga.) and SAC co-Player of the Year Amanda Bartlett
(Power Springs, Ga.).
TC completed the sweep as Jennifer Sparks
(Missouri City, Texas) and Amanda Pike
(Elizabethton, Tenn.) rallied from an early deficit to edge
Cassie Moulton (Maryville, Tenn.) and
Elizabeth Sneed (Kingsport, Tenn.) 8-6 at No. 2
doubles.
Tusculum carried the momentum into singles action as Doss posted a
6-2, 6-1 victory over Sorah at No. 4 singles as TC led 4-0. Sneed
cut into the deficit with her straight set (6-3, 6-3) triumph
against Pike at the third flight.
At the No. 2 singles, Hartley moved out to an early 4-1 lead, but
Cappadonna, the SAC Freshman of the Year, fought back to within
one. Hartley held on and won the first set 7-5, before clinching
the point and the match with her 6-2 win in the final frame.
For her efforts, Hartley was named to 2008 Food Lion SAC Most
Valuable Player.
Tusculum ties a school record, posting its 20th win of the
season.
- SAC -
Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Women's Tennis
Tournament Championship
Rock Hill Tennis Center â-ª Rock Hill, South
Carolina
No. 2 Tusculum 5, No. 1 Carson-Newman 1 (Final)
Singles
1 Amanda Bartlett (CN) vs. Jennifer Sparks (TC), DNF
2 Bronwyn Hartley (TC) def. Taryn Cappadonna (CN), 7-5, 6-2
3 Elizabeth Sneed (CN) def. Amanda Pike (TC), 6-3, 6-3
4 Katelyn Doss (TC) def. Emily Sorah (CN), 6-2, 6-1
5 Cassie Moulton (CN) vs. Blake Thompson (TC), DNF
6 Stephanie Douglas (CN) vs. Heidi von der Lage (TC), DNF
Doubles
1 Caroline Crowe/Doss (TC) def. Bartlett/Cappadonna (CN), 8-3
2 Pike/Sparks (TC) def. Moulton/Sneed (CN), 8-6
3 Hartley/Thompson (TC) def. Sorah/Douglas (CN), 8-2