SUMTER, S.C.- The season is not over for 16th-ranked Carson-Newman women's tennis as the Eagles advance to their second straight SAC semifinals with a 4-2 win on Thursday. It would be the Orange and Blue matching wits with the Anderson Trojans for the second time in eight days, as C-N took their second win over their opposition.
As they pulled off the comeback victory, the Eagles (17-4, 10-2 SAC) advance to Friday's semifinals against their ole rival, the Wingate Bulldogs, in the 2022 SAC semifinals.
With their 14 wins, C-N completes the best regular season and postseason run (so far) in the last 15 seasons as they were able to hold a national ranking for six consecutive weeks, including an individual ranking for the first time under head coach Jim Frederick.
"Huge win for us as a program, it started off a little shaky, but we responded well and with the support of our men and fans, we pulled out the win," senior Ana Carla Resende said. "I know tomorrow will be tough, but we're ready for the rematch and we just need to play our best tennis of the season."
As both sides fought to be the first to four points, it all started with the valuable doubles point on the table, as Anderson would gather the early advantage with wins at the number one and two flight.
In number one doubles, Hannah Price and Natasha Forrest battled Anderson's Catherine Blouin and Laura Alvarez Tello, with AU looking the part with a 6-1 result and win.
Then, as the number two flight included the Orange and Blue's Ana Carla Resende and Summer Reeves, their match would see AU claiming the doubles point after winning 6-2. This meant the number three doubles flight was put on hold and unfinished due to the point being decided.
Moving into singles play behind, C-N had a lot to overcome and needed to regain the momentum on their side. The match would see all but one singles match come to an official finish, that being number two singles.
Number one singles saw a prime matchup of two of the SAC's premier athletes, in first team All-SAC honoree, Ana Carla Resende, and the SAC Freshman of the Year in Catherine Blouin. Much like their regular season meeting, Resende would handle her own with a final of 6-1, 6-2 to put the Orange and Blue on the board.
The second singles match to conclude came by way of Violetta Khisamova at number three. The All-SAC third team member went up against AU's Katie Robeson, as she pulled out the 7-5, 6-1 victory. This put C-N ahead 2-1 and shifted the match momentum from the side of the Trojans to the Eagles.
Then, Anderson came back to even up the score as Elisa Aquirre took the result from the number five flight over C-N's Natasha Forrest. The final would read 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 for Anderson as the two sides became locked up at 2-2, with three matches left on the courts.
The Eagles did not waste any time in getting the momentum back in their favor, this time by way of Anita Chornei at number six. In one of the most back-and-forth battles of the day, the Ukraine native stormed back to respond and take a 6-3, 6-2 decision.
Her match point was timed by team officials to last nearly three minutes, as both Chornei and Val Borda of AU went back-and-forth with a total of 85 swings. The most important result of her victory was putting C-N ahead 3-2, only one victory away from a spot on Friday.
Finally, in number four singles, C-N's graduate student Hannah Price would be the match clincher against AU's Laura Alvarez Tello. Price would take the first set 6-3, before falling in the second set 3-6. This took the match to a third set, which the Knoxville native would take 6-3 once more to push C-N into Friday.
The only match to not see an official conclusion was between C-N's Summer Reeves and AU's Anna Greer at number two singles. The two were headed to a third set after splitting the first two 6-4, 4-6. However, as Price and Tello finished, their match was no longer necessary due to C-N reaching the desired four points necessary.
The Eagles return to the Palmetto Tennis Center with a meeting against Wingate on the horizon in the SAC Semifinals. The two sides will match racquets with a first serve scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Friday.
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