NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Piedmont 9, Pfeiffer 0
Records: Piedmont, 22-4; Pfeiffer, 11-8
ROME, Ga. - The Piedmont women's tennis team raced into the USA South Tournament Semifinals with a 9-0 sweep of Pfeiffer in the quarterfinals on a beautiful Thursday afternoon in Rome, Georgia.
The Lady Lions were dominant in two out of three doubles matches and won all six singles lines in straight sets, not dropping a single game in in three of them and only losing one game from 3 through 6 singles.
The dynamic duo of
ALYSSA MCSPADDEN and
IMANI VINCENT got things rolling with a perfect 8-0 win at No. 2 doubles before
MAGGIE MOODY and
MELISSA GISH put on a clinical performance at No. 3 for an 8-2 victory.
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Finally,
RACHEL MARSH and
ABBEY GRACE VENHAM held off a late charge to win 8-6 at No. 1 and complete the doubles sweep.
Only needing two matches to advance, it did not take the Lady Lions long to secure the clinch as
DAKOTA WILKES won 6-0, 6-0 before McSpadden did the same just moments later to make it 5-0 Piedmont.
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Venham lost a pair of games late in the second set but was otherwise dominant in a 6-0, 6-2 victory to preserve the shutout. Minutes after Venham prevailed, Gish won 6-0, 6-0 to give the Lady Lions their third 0 and 0 singles win.
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Playing No. 4 singles,
MARION SLOYAN (6-0, 6-1) cleared the way for only Vincent's match on court as the reigning USA South Player of the Year concluded the festivities with a 6-3, 6-4 win at No. 1.
Up next, the Lady Lions will advance to the semifinals to take on Methodist tomorrow at 10 a.m. The teams met in the regular season on Feb. 20, a 6-3 triumph for Piedmont in Demorest.
TURNING POINT:
- Vincent and McSpadden's dominant 8-0 win to kick off the match at No. 2 doubles set the tone for the shutout win.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- The freshman McSpadden did not lose a single game across singles or doubles and earned the clinch at No. 6.
NEWS AND NOTES:
- This marks Piedmont's fourth consecutive appearance in the USA South Tournament Semifinals.
HOW TO FOLLOW:
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