In its final match at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center for the 2014 spring season, the Elon University women’s tennis team sent off its three seniors — Jordan Johnston, Frida Jansaker and Bryn Khoury — in style by defeating the Catamounts of Western Carolina University, 7-0, on senior day, April 12.
The Phoenix won the doubles point, only losing a combined two games on the three doubles courts. On court No. 1, Johnston and junior Barbora Lazarova defeated the duo of sophomores Stacia Kissell and Shannon Bettiol, 8-1. Khoury and sophomore Taylor Casey won by the same margin on court No. 3, while Jansaker and junior Maria Camara Ruiz’s shutout of sophomore Nicole Nielly and junior Megan McLinden gave the Phoenix a 1-0 lead heading into singles play.
Khoury earned Elon’s first singles point on court No. 3, where she shut out McLinden, 6-0, 6-0. Jansaker followed with a win of her own on court No. 2, only losing one game en route to a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Bettiol. Lazarova clinched the match shortly after by toppling sophomore Sarah Ruiz Pajares, 6-3, 6-2.
Camara Ruiz’s win on court No. 5 gave Elon a 5-0 lead, and freshman Tolley Rice stretched the lead to 6-0 win a 6-2, 6-3 win on court No. 6. Johnston found herself in a battle on court No. 1 against Kissell. Johnston won the first set, 6-4, but was mired in a 5-5 tie in the second set before pulling out a 7-6 win to finish the sweep of the Catamounts.
“We’ve been talking all along about how we all need to be winning at the same time,” Johnston said. “We want to peak at the tournament and right now we’re setting ourselves up to do that.”
The Phoenix has been nearly unbeatable at home this season, posting a record of 8-1 at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center. Overall, Elon improves to 12-8 and 6-3 in the Southern Conference. Elon currently sits fourth in the SoCon standings, but official seeds for next week’s SoCon Women’s Tennis Championships in Chattanooga, Tenn., will be announced following the completion of matches April 12.