JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman women's tennis (2-1, 0-0 SAC) will see two matches in three days after collecting a pair of nonconference sweeps last weekend. The Eagles hit the road for a matchup with DIII powerhouse, Sewanee, on Thursday before hosting the UT-Martin Skyhawks Saturday from the Cedar Bluff Racquet Club in Knoxville, Tenn.
The Eagles come into this week's pair of matches after absolutely dominating action last weekend against the Young Harris Mountain Lions and Less-McRae Bobcats. Friday saw the Eagles hand Young Harris their first loss of 2022 as they swept all three doubles matches and took every singles match, except one, in the minimum two sets.
"Girls dominated from beginning to the end. Tash and Hannah didn't have their best matches skill wise, but still found a way to come through and win," graduate coach Gabriel Dabdab said.
In singles, the newly named SAC Player of the Week for CNWT, Ana Carla Resende, got back on the right track as she picked up her first win of 2022 with a 6-3, 6-0 result at number one singles. This came after a shocking upset loss at the hands of UNG to open up the 2022 spring season.
Then, on Saturday, it would be almost déjà vu for C-N as they left no doubt against Lees-McRae, taking a 7-0 clean sweep. The afternoon got started with a clean doubles sweep for C-N as the Eagles only dropped seven games in all three matches combined.
"Doubles were strong once again for the girls as they almost looked identical to yesterday's performance," graduate coach Gabriel Dabdab said.
In singles against LMC, C-N was led by perhaps the hottest Eagle so far this season in Natasha Forrest (Jersey, United Kingdom). So far this season, Forrest sits at 3-0 in the early stages of the spring season, lending her the top mark on the team as no other Eagle has won more than twice so far.
SCOUTING SEWANEE
The Eagles and Tigers last squared off in February 2019 when C-N would end the day as 6-3 victors over the nationally-ranked Division III institution, Sewanee Tigers. The Eagles jumped ahead 2-1 in doubles as they won from both number one and number two positions. In the two victories, Ana Carla Resende and Ali Harris won from number one doubles while Hannah Price (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Abby Reis took the win from number two doubles.
On the singles side of competition, there were no three-set matches but definitely a few sets that were tight as the Eagles only dropped matches at No. 2 and No. 6.
The University of the South women's tennis team, ranked no. 6 in the final ITA DII poll, took down Cumberland University (Tenn.) 7-2 to open up their 2022 season on Feb. 10.
In the match, freshman Alice Hall, Ansley Carpenter, and Sarah Livingston rolled to straight-set victories in singles play as each posted their first collegiate dual victories. Carpenter (15th) and Livingston (16th) are ranked in the regional rankings. In doubles, the duo of Brooke Despriet and Hall, ranked sixth in the region, cruised to a shutout victory.
After all was said and done, the Tigers collected their 12th straight season opening win, dating back to the 2011 season.
SCOUTING UT-MARTIN
Saturday will mark the first ever meeting between the Eagles and Skyhawks in program history.
The Skyhawks (0-5, 0-0 OVC) have started off sluggish in 2022 as they have lost to Western Kentucky, Lipscomb, Middle Tennessee, UAB, and Samford to open the season slate. In their last two matches from the Yellowhammer State, it would be a clean sweep of the Skyhawks which sealed their fate.
Against the Bulldogs of Samford, the usual duos of Sina Albersmeier/Jule Streif and Mizuki Sakurai/Jillian Niedzialowski became the first pair to come out on the losing end of two-on-two proceedings by a combined score of 12-2. Meanwhile, in singles against Samford, all six contests ended as two-and-out, as no Skyhawk came within a closer score of 6-3 in a sleuth of lopsided results.
As they have yet to see a win, the navy and orange of UTM have now drifted to 21 consecutive non-conference defeats dating back to February 2020, when UTM defeated Alabama A&M 6-1.
Looking to regroup after losing six straight doubles and 12 straight singles meetings, UTM will continue their season-opening eight-match streak of either neutral or true road appearances. Saturday marks the third in-state trip for the Skyhawks as they have also seen action against the previously mentioned Bisons and Blue Raiders.
Opening serve from Sewanee is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET between the Eagles and Tigers Thursday from the Bruton-Guerry Tennis Center. Meanwhile, the Eagles and Skyhawks are set to square off starting at 3:00 p.m. Saturday from the Cedar Bluff Racquet Club in Knoxville.
Be sure to keep up with all things Carson-Newman women's tennis at cneagles.com and on social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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