WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - For the first time in program history, the #16 Florida Southern College women's tennis team beat #26 Lynn University 4-3. The win came in a do-or-die situation as the fifth-seed Moccasins (16-5) defeated the fourth-seed Fighting Knights (10-7) to advance to the semifinals of the Sunshine State Conference tournament on Friday afternoon in West Palm Beach at the Mitch Gornto Tennis Center.
In doubles action, the early point went to the Fighting Knights, winning doubles one and two to clinch the 1-0 lead. The #26 doubles pair of
Kennedi Brown and
Kelly Klaren fell to the #5 pair of Kristin Younes and Carla Galmiche 6-3. While
Emily Jennewein and
Ronja Scheuermann fell 6-4 to Salma Djoubri and Zofia Podbiol.
In singles action, the Mocs had to fight back from falling 3-0 as the #7
Olivia Bryant fell to #9 6-1, 6-3 after the No. 2 singles went to Lynn with
Beatriz Costa falling 6-1, 6-0.
Florida Southern went to work in the next matches as they battled back to tie the match 3-3, winning the next three matches. The first win came in a tiebreaker at the No.3 court as Scheuermann won 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) to make it 3-1. Klaren made it 3-2 in the comeback, winning in three sets against her Fighting Knights opponent, winning set one 6-3, falling in set two 6-4, before dominating set three 6-2. Jennewein made it 3-3 as she won the No. 6 court, winning also in three sets 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
With the match tied at 3-3, all eyes went to No. 4 court, where
Annika Berrendorf and Carla Galmiche were battling it out. Set one went to Galmiche 7-5, and set two went to Berrendorf 6-2. Berrendorf and Galmiche gave it their all until neither had anything left. The final set went into a tiebreaker dual, and Berrendorf clinched the win for the Mocs with a 7-6 (8-6) final.
The Moccasins advance to face #1/first-seed Barry University tomorrow, April 26. The first serve is scheduled at 1:00 p.m.
