MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – The No. 49 Georgia College Women's Tennis team (1-0) got 2022 started on the right foot Tuesday, taking down Valdosta State University (0-1) 4-3 at the Centennial Center Courts.
The Bobcats took the doubles point, and got singles wins from Emilia Richter (Berlin, Germany), Emma Fleming (Suwanee) and Shradha Chhabra (New Delhi, India).
GC took second and third doubles to get the team point. Ashton Morrison (Cumming) and Chiara Santoro (Santa Ursula, Spain) made quick work of Hera Bjork and Julie Saving in third doubles to start, 6-1. The Bobcats then clinched the point by winning second doubles, as Sofia Shing (Auckland, New Zealand) teamed with Jordan Bowie (Macon) for a 6-3 win over Anastasiia Vorobiova and Elisa Beau. On the first line, Richter and Fleming fell short to Natalie Kohoutkova and Magda Tuells Bonet 7-6 (4)
The Blazers evened the score with the first result, coming in first singles. There, National No. 44 Shing was upset by Kohoutkova 6-1, 6-1. Richter then quickly put the team back in front with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Tuells Bonet in second singles. Fleming then put the Bobcats a victory away by taking a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 battle from Beau.
Chhabra clinched the team victory, buzzing through Saving in the sixth slot, 6-1, 6-3. Team victory already in hand, Bowie then lost to Adriana Barrio 7-6, 6-0 in fifth singles, and the day closed in the third slot, where Santoro fell in a marathon to Vorobiova 6-4, 6-7, 6-4.
The victory ends a two-year stretch of losses in season-openers for GC Women's Tennis.
The Bobcats are back in action Friday, Feb. 4 at 2 p.m., traveling to Emmanuel College.
The proud recipients of the 2021 PBC Sportsmanship Institution of the Year, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GC Athletics is now two-time winners of both the PBC Commissioner's Cup and the league's sportsmanship honor. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' continued appearances in post-season competition as well as high-level academic success and community-service involvement. Bobcat Athletics holds to the mantra of "Graduating Champions for Life". Sign up at @GCBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports.
