BOCA RATON - Rollins College lost just two matches during the regular season and one of those came to Florida Southern. Friday morning at the Sunshine State Conference women's tennis tournament, the Tars avenged that loss and earned a chance to do the same with their other one. Rollins downed Florida Southern 5-1 to advance to the SSC championship match for another date with undefeated and 2nd-ranked Lynn University.
On March 31, Florida Southern knocked off Rollins 5-4 in a back-and-forth match which either team could have won. Despite the 5-1 score on Friday, this one could have gone a different direction too. The 9th-ranked Tars (19-2) led 3-0 lead after doubles play, but got that third point when their top doubles team of Kayli Ragsdale and Margaret Junker slipped by Senka Softic and Ashley Hungerford, 8-6. It gave the two nationally ranked doubles teams a split in their two meetings this season, as Softic and Hungerford won the earlier one, 9-8.
The 18th-ranked Moccasins (16-5) got one of the singles points they needed when Softic, ranked #7 in Division II singles, defeated #10 Roshni Luthra 6-3, 6-0. It was Softic's 19th win of the season against only one defeat. Meanwhile on the other courts, Hungerford, Erin Conroy and Nora Baertschi had all won the first set of their respective matches, and Baertschi was again in control in set number two. They never got the chance to finish, however, as Rollins picked up wins from Junker and Allie Steele to clinch the outcome.
The result sends Florida Southern into the third-place match on Saturday morning at 8:30 at Patch Reef Park. The Moccasins will face #13 Barry, a team they lost to in February by a score of 5-4.
