By Sean Montgomery, Sports Information Student Assistant
AUGUSTA, Ga. – The No. 21 Georgia College Women's Tennis team (6-4, 3-2 PBC) travelled Friday to face Peach Belt Conference (PBC) opponent No. 36 Augusta University (9-3, 3-3 PBC) at the Newman Tennis Center. The Bobcat women got the better of the Jaguars, dropping just one match on the day en route to an 8-1 victory.
The two teams got off to a competitive start, with Georgia College leading by a slight 2-1 margin after doubles action. Georgia College picked up wins in the first and second slots, before dropping their only match of the day; a close battle in the third.
Paired in first-slot singles, the duo of Katie Krupp (Evans) and Jena Kelly (Lawrenceville) struck first, defeating Brooke Durden and Maria C. Pimental, 8-2. The top Bobcat doubles pairing now stands at 5-3 on the season. Not far behind, Camille Clausse-Pujo (Bordeaux, France) and Macy Polk (Powder Springs) also claimed an 8-2 result, getting the better of Monica Gonzalez and Amelia Pinoargote in the second slot. Macy Polk and Clausse-Pujo improve to 2-0 on the year.
A tough battle ensued in the third slot, as Kristen Jones (Marietta) and Emma Niemi (Cumming) dueled with Gisela Font and Maria Nadal. However, after a back-and-forth exchange, Nadal and Font closed out the Bobcat pair with a close 8-7 win.
With the Bobcats clinging to a narrow 2-1 lead heading into singles action the team caught fire, sweeping all six singles matches with decisive victories.
Finishing first in the third slot, Macy Polk dispatched of Pimentel with a quick 6-1, 6-3 win. Niemi also earned a victory, conquering Pinoargote by a score of 6-1, 6-2.
With the team score at 4-1 in favor of Georgia College, the Bobcat women needed just one more positive result to seal the victory on the day. That victory came in fifth-slot singles, when Cristalei Polk (Powder Springs) surrendered just a single point in a 6-1, 6-0 defeat of Nadal.
Clausse-Pujo, Jones and Kelly all picked up impressive match victories to complete the singles sweep and give the team the 8-1 win over the Jaguars.
Clausse-Pujo triumphed over Durden in the first slot, 6-2, 6-3, Jones posted a 6-1, 6-3 win over Gonzalez, and Kelly fought off a close first set to earn the 7-5, 6-1 result against Font. Kelly owns the team lead in singles wins at seven, holding off Jones, Cristalei Polk and Macy Polk, each with six.
With the win, the Bobcat women claim two straight victories, while handing Augusta their second straight defeat. The Bobcats will be back in action and will look to defend their home court, Saturday, March 5 at 11 a.m. in a non-conference matchup with No. 35 Wingate University at the Centennial Center Tennis Facility.
The Georgia College Department of Athletics, two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup, sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at @GCBobcats on social media for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit GCBobcats.PhotoReflect.com to purchase photo prints from home athletic contests.
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