KNOXVILLE, Tenn.— Despite winning a pair of singles matches, the Montreat College women's tennis team suffered a 5-2 defeat at the hands of the Johnson University Royals in Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) play on Thursday afternoon. Following the loss, the Cavaliers moved to 2-9 (1-3 AAC) on the year, while the Royals improved to 4-4 (1-1 AAC) overall.
Johnson secured the doubles point even though the Cavs notched a decisive win on the second court.
Ana Marija Horvacki and
Yamile Cuiza posted a commanding 6-0 victory over their opposition. Meanwhile,
Catalina Pan and
Clara Roman's match at No. 1 concluded with a 4-6 score, and Montreat forfeited the final doubles pairing due to not having a full lineup.
In singles action, Pan delivered a straight-sets victory at No. 2, swiftly defeating her opponent 6-3, 6-1. Cuiza also recorded a triumph in two sets on the third court with a 6-0, 6-4 result. The duo proved responsible for the Cavaliers' two team points on the day.
Horvacki faced a challenging match in the fourth flight, dropping a close first-set tiebreak before eventually losing 6-7 (9-11), 6-3, 0-1 (5-10). Roman also went the distance competing in the top slot, taking her opponent to three sets before narrowly losing the match 6-4, 4-6, 5-7.
Kathryn Salazar's bout at No. 5 ended in a 0-6, 0-6 result, and the Royals seized an additional point on the final court as the Cavs forfeited the remaining singles match.
The next challenge for the Montreat College women's tennis squad is a home clash against North Carolina A&T State University, an NCAA Division I program, on Tuesday, March 17 in Montreat, N.C.
