GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum University defeated Catawba College 6-1 in South Atlantic Conference women's tennis action Saturday afternoon at the Nichols Tennis Complex.
The Pioneers (10-5, 5-3 SAC) won the doubles point and the first five singles matches to lock up the win over the Indians (4-9, 0-6 SAC).
In doubles play, Valentina Loretz and Emilie Hansen beat Merionne Hunt and Vicky Beardsley 6-0 at flight three, but the Indians earned a win at flight one to set up the decisive doubles match at flight two. Leonie Floeth teamed with Paulina Loretz for a 6-4 win over Veronika Poliakova and Lauren Laughton to give Tusculum a 1-0 lead in the match.
In singles play, Johanna Palacio beat Hunt 6-0, 6-1 at flight six and Paulina Loretz won by retirement over Carolina Correia after splitting the first two sets 4-6, 6-2 at flight four to give Tusculum a 3-0 lead. Tabitha Howe earned the clinching point with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 win over Una Pandurevic at flight two.
Also picking up wins for the Pioneers were Elodie Baechler, who defeated Poliakova 7-5, 6-4 at flight one, and Floeth who downed Laughton 6-3, 6-3 at flight three. Catawba's lone win came in a pro set where Lena Friedrich beat Valentina Loretz 8-5 at flight five in the final match of the day.
Tusculum will face nationally-ranked opponents in its next two scheduled matches, starting with 19th-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne in a match currently slated for Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the Nichols Tennis Complex, weather permitting. The Bears are 15-5 overall and 6-3 in conference play, but have lost three in a row including a 7-0 setback to Anderson on Saturday.
