GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The 21st-ranked Tusculum women's tennis team pushed its record to 12-0 with Friday's 6-3 non-conference victory over Young Harris at the Nichols Tennis Complex.
The Pioneers' 12-0 start is only the second time Tusculum has been perfect through its first dozen outings in program history. Only the 2003-2004 squad could match that start as that TC club won its first 20 matches to start the year. Young Harris, the No. 8 team in the NCAA Division II Southeast Region, slips to 9-4 on the season
Tusculum jumped out to a 2-1 lead after doubles play as the duo of Franziska Funke and Katarina Majorova breezed to an 8-2 victory over Maria Puerta and Carol Quevedo at No. 2 doubles. The Mountain Lions tied the match at 1-1 thanks to the 8-4 pro set win by the No. 3 doubles pairing of Laura Sanchez and Elin Rundcrantz over TC's Africa Mota and Amber Lackey.
The 20th-ranked doubles team of Annie and Caitlin McCullough were pushed to the limit but came through with a critical point at the top-flight, winning 8-6 over Ana Rodriguez and Oriana Labaqui.
The Pioneers swept through the top-three singles matches winning in straight sets to seal the Tusculum victory. Majorova, the 12th-ranked singles player in the nation, remained undefeated with her 6-1, 6-3 win over Rundcrantz. Funke, the No. 47 singles player in NCAA II, also kept her singles record without a blemish with her 6-0, 6-1 win at the second flight against Labaqui. Annie McCullough (No. 27 in NCAA II singles) won 6-1, 6-1 over Rodriguez.
Tusculum rookie Angelica De Vincenzis won her No. 5 singles contest against Quevedo 6-1, 7-6 for the Pioneers' sixth point.
Young Harris captured points and No. 4 and No. 6 singles. Sanchez jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the fourth flight, only to see Caitlin McCullough rebound to a 6-2 win to send the match to a third frame. Sanchez would claim the set 11-9 in a pro set tiebreaker.
Maria Puerta defeated Julia Lopez in an 8-6 pro set decision at No. 6 singles to wrap up the match.
Tusculum returns to South Atlantic Conference play on Sunday when they host Catawba for a 1 p.m. contest.
