NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Piedmont 5, Averett 3
Records: Piedmont, 24-4; Averett, 14-5
ROME, Ga. - The Piedmont women's tennis team prevailed 5-3 on Saturday afternoon over Averett to capture its first USA South Tournament Title.
Unlike yesterday, there was no miraculous comeback needed today, as the Lions jumped ahead 2-1 after doubles and kept the pressure on in singles, winning a number of hard-fought first sets before taking control late to win 5-3.
Sophomore
MELISSA GISH was named USA South Tournament MVP after winning the clinching match at No. 3 singles. The Loganville, Georgia native won a grueling first set, 7-5, before establishing control in a dominant second set.
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It was Gish along with graduate student
MAGGIE MOODY that put the first point on the board for Piedmont as the duo cruised to an 8-3 win at No. 3 doubles. Minutes later,
IMANI VINCENT and
ALYSSA MCSPADDEN made it 2-0 Lions with an 8-4 win at No. 2.
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Although the Cougars were able to salvage a point with a win at No. 1 doubles, the advantage was on the side of the Lions heading into singles action, where they had won five out of six matches in the semifinals.
All six singles matches were closely contested in the first set. However, the Lions were able to prevail in four of the six thanks to gritty 7-5 wins from Gish at 3 and McSpadden at 6.
Vincent battled in the second set but eventually fell to Averett's Maxence Lippens at No. 1, tying the score at 2-2. The momentum did not last long as semifinal hero
ABBEY GRACE VENHAMÂ delivered a 6-4, 6-4 triumph at No. 2 to put Piedmont back ahead.
DAKOTA WILKES battled back in her match to force a second-set tiebreaker and stay alive although the Cougars were able to prevail to knot things up at 3-3.Â
That set the stage for three underclassmen, as it was a race between
MARION SLOYAN, Gish and McSpadden for who could close out their match first.
Sloyan made it 4-3 with a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 4 as Gish and McSpadden were each a game away with Gish playing hero and clinching the championship as McSpadden had match point as well at No. 6.
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The win will send Piedmont to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history and continues a record-setting season as it now sits at 24-4 overall.
TURNING POINT:
- Both Gish and McSpadden were down in the first set, but battled back to win 7-5, swinging momentum back toward the Lady Lions.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- Gish capped off an incredible tournament with MVP honors, going 3-0 in singles and 2-1 in doubles for the weekend.
- Sloyan was also named to the All-Tournament Team after a perfect 3-0 weekend in singles.
- Venham was the hero yesterday and delivered a much-needed singles point today, putting the Lions back ahead 3-2 midway through the match.
NEWS AND NOTES:
- Of Piedmont's four losses this season, two were against Non-DII opponents and its only DIII losses were against top-10 Sewanee.
- Head Coach Trey Martin has taken the Lady Lions to a USA South Tournament Final in each of the three season in which it has been played since he has been head coach. He is now a USA South Champion in only his fourth season at the helm, with an undefeated USA South record.
- This marks the first Piedmont women's tennis tournament title since winning the GSAC in 2005.
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