MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – The Georgia College & State University Women's Tennis team (9-1) was the first team to beat Catawba College (4-1) this season, the Bobcats nabbing their second shutout in as many days. GCSU has now won five in a row.
The Bobcats took the doubles point with wins on the first and third lines. Senior Emma Fleming (Suwanee) and Chiara Santoro (Santa Ursula, Spain) beat Alexandra Parra and Vicky Beardsley, 6-4 in first doubles. The Bobcat first doubles pair evened out their record to 5-5 this season. On the second line, Ashton Morrison (Cumming) and Jada Young (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina) fell to Sofia Hernandez and Carolina Correia 6-4.
Sofia Shing (Auckland, New Zealand) and Shradha Chhabra (New Delhi, India) clinched the point by winning in third doubles 6-4 over Tina Gomes and Nika Dundovic. Shing and Chhabra continue their tear in doubles play, improving to 9-1.
Singles play finished in number order. Shing kept the momentum going with the first singles result, a 7-5, 6-0 win over Lena Friedrich. Shing owns an 8-2 singles mark. Young improved to 6-3 with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 come-from-behind victory over Miya Ami. Fleming also posted a comeback win to clinch the team victory, beating Parra 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. Fleming is now 8-1 in singles.
Santoro took Matilde Moretti in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3 to stay undefeated, and is the first Bobcat to ten wins this season. Next came a win for Morrison over Vaishnavi Venkatesh with a pair of 6-2 sets. Chhabra finished the day, beating Correia with a pair of 6-1 sets. Morrison improves to 6-4, and Chhabra owns an 8-2 mark.
The Bobcats are back in action Friday, March 10 at 1 p.m., hosting No. 19 Wingate University.
Owning the top Academic Success Rate among public schools in Division II, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won three-straight Presidents' Awards for Academic Excellence, and are two-time winners of both the PBC Commissioner's Cup and the PBC Institution of the Year Sportsmanship Award. 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 embodies the mantra of "Graduating Champions for Life." Sign up at @GCSUBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports.
