Eagles take games from red-hot #6 Catawba but finish 0-4
Carson-Newman Women’s Tennis dropped their fifth match of the season but presented great effort against the top ten opponent
SALISBURY, N.C. – Carson-Newman Women's Tennis dropped their fifth match of the season but presented great effort against the top ten opponent
The Eagles move to 3-5 with the loss and 0-2 in SAC play.
"We fought where we could. We had some good showings and great play from Hala and Kira. I know as a collective team we can do it," said head coach Nate Gangelhoff.
In doubles, the Eagles didn't have their best day. At first doubles Kira Baacke and Maria del Mar Sarda Marti fell 6-1, while Leah McBride and Mar Fraile lost buy the same score at the second line. Kerrigan Spiers and Hala Awad were up 5-3 at third doubles when Catawba clinched the point.
Awad carried that momentum into singles. The senior grabbed a 6-3 win in the first set over Sofia Antolini, the #1 player in the Southeast region. Catawba's number one battles back to beat Awad 6-3 in set two. The ones were headed into a third when Catawba clinched the match.
Maria del Mar Sarda Mari fell in singles for the second match in a row with a 6-3, 6-2 decision. Right behind her at third singles, Kerrigan Spiers was down 6-3, 3-1 before the match ended.
In her fourth singles match of the year, Kira Baacke challenged Lili Drukerova to a 7-6 set one loss before the fours were retired on the clinch.
Leah McBride went down 6-2, 6-0 at fifth singles and Mar Fraile fell 6-2, 6-1 at the bottom of the lineup to move her singles record to 3-3.
"The best teams will bring out our highest level. Now we need to replicate it and raise it in the coming matches to get back some momentum and confidence," said Gangelhoff.
This moves C-N to 9-7 in the all-time series against Catawba sends the women with a four-match losing streak back home to Jefferson City. Carson-Newman will have the chance to pick up their first SAC win when they host UVA Wise in Mossy Creek on March 11. For updates, follow @CN_Eagles on X and Instagram, or check cneagles.com for full
