GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum University earned its third consecutive victory over a nationally-ranked opponent and moved into first place in the South Atlantic Conference with a 4-3 victory over Wingate University in women's tennis action Tuesday from the Nichols Tennis Complex.
The 47th-ranked Pioneers (13-5, 9-1 SAC) swept doubles from the 15th-ranked Bulldogs (13-3, 8-1 SAC) then won three of the first four completed singles matches to clinch the victory. Tusculum's last three wins have come against 21st-ranked Anderson (6-1), 10th-ranked Newberry (5-2) and Wingate, all of which were under consideration in the first NCAA Division II Southeast Region ranking release of the season last week.
In doubles, Leonie Floeth and Ylva Frafjord Landa earned a 6-3 win over Flaminia Guidantoni and Annika Hakovirta at flight three, followed by a 7-5 win at flight one by Tabitha Howe and Paulina Loretz over Chloe Kosmrlj and Alex Lopez. Elodie Baechler and Valentina Loretz would finish the sweep for the Pioneers with a 7-6 (7-3) win at flight two over Suzuka Sambyakugari and Gaya Solomon.
Tusculum stretched its lead to 2-0 as Howe beat Solomon 6-4, 6-3 at flight two, but Fernanda Castillo outlasted Landa 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 at flight six to trim the Pioneer lead to 2-1. Paulina Loretz needed two tiebreakers to beat Guidantoni 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-3) at flight four for a 3-1 Tusculum lead, including a rally from a 2-5 deficit in the second set.
Floeth would clinch the match victory for the Pioneers as she rallied from a set down for a 1-6, 6-2, 6-4 win over Kosmrlj at flight one. Wingate would win the final two matches using the super tiebreaker, as Sambyakugari defeated Baechler 6-1, 3-6, (10-5) at flight three and Lopez downed Valentina Loretz 6-3, 3-6, (10-7) at flight five.
Tusculum will be home for the final time this season as the Pioneers host Emory & Henry on Wednesday at 1 p.m. The Wasps, in their first season in the SAC, are 0-10 in conference play and 4-11 overall, including a streak of 11 consecutive defeats.
