The Elon University women’s tennis team dominated the University of North Carolina at Charlotte en route to a 7-0 victory Feb. 26 at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.
“I thought (Elon) played really well – showed a lot of heart,” head coach Elizabeth Anderson said. “They raised the level of their game. It’s definitely moving in the right direction and we’re excited about opening conference play [March 1] and I think this match prepared us really well for that.”
The Phoenix captured the doubles point with 8-2 wins on courts No. 2 and 3. The pairing of senior Frida Jansaker and junior Maria Camara Ruiz, as well as the pairing of senior Bryn Khoury and sophomore Taylor Casey, took care of business for Elon to give the Phoenix an early 1-0 lead.
Senior Barbora Lazarova, once again playing at No. 2 singles in place of Jansaker, beat junior Lisa Grosselius, 6-0, 6-3, on court No. 2 to give Elon a 2-0 lead. Wins by freshman Tolley Rice and Camara Ruiz put the Phoenix up 4-0, sealing the victory. Rice’s win was her fourth straight since joining the singles lineup.
All three remaining matches went to third set tiebreakers, but the Phoenix was able to come out on top in all three. Senior Jordan Johnston beat freshman Victoria Pahlett on court No. 1, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2), for her fourth straight singles win. Casey then willed her way to a 6-1, 7-6 (7-2) win on court No. 5, outlasting freshman Macy Vonderschmidt. Khoury also prevailed, finishing off the sweep on court No. 6.
Jansaker sat out singles play for the second consecutive match as she battles a nagging injury. Anderson said that the move was precautionary and she expects Jansaker to play singles in the team’s next match March 1.
The win was Elon’s fourth straight of the season after starting 0-4. The Phoenix will be back on the court March 1 to open Southern Conference play against Georgia Southern University. The match is scheduled for 12 p.m. at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.