#1 UNC Asheville Blanks #4 Radford, 4-0, to Reach Championship Final
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - UNC Asheville Women's Tennis is headed back to the Big South Conference Championship match after a 4-0 win over Radford in the championship semifinal on Friday (Apr. 19).
Asheville captured the doubles point with two wins in doubles play, before three wins in singles play brought the match to its final score.
Valeria Centeno and Avery Sager got the Bulldogs on the board with a 6-3 win at No. 3 doubles over Brooke Murphy and Michaela Stephens, before First Team All-Conference tandem Ari Siegel and Linge Steenkamp clinched the doubles point at No. 1 with a 6-3 win over Julia Abrams and Emily Brandow. All-Academic Team selection Rosie Dickson put Asheville up 2-0 with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Rachel Ekanem at No. 5, before Big South Conference Player of the Year Steenkamp beat Abrams 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 to put Asheville ahead 3-0. Second Team All-Conference singles selection Angelina Joy Hug clinched the match for the Bulldogs with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Lexi Smolder at No. 4.
Doubles competition
1. Ari Siegel/Linge Steenkamp (Asheville) def. ABRAMS, Julia/BRANDOW, Emily (Radford) 6-3
2. Rosie Dickson/Angelina Joy Hug (Asheville) vs. BATTH, Ameek/SMOLDER, Lexi (Radford) 4-4, unfinished
3. Valeria Centeno/Avery Sager (Asheville) def. MURPHY, Brooke/STEPHENS, Michaela (Radford) 6-3
Singles competition
1. Linge Steenkamp (Asheville) def. ABRAMS, Julia (Radford) 6-2, 6-2
2. Louise Booker (Asheville) vs. STEPHENS, Michaela (Radford) 6-0, 4-5, unfinished
3. Alexis Nyborg (Asheville) vs. BRANDOW, Emily (Radford) 6-3, 4-6, unfinished
4. Angelina Joy Hug (Asheville) def. SMOLDER, Lexi (Radford) 6-4, 6-2
5. Rosie Dickson (Asheville) def. EKANEM, Rachel (Radford) 6-1, 6-0
6. Valeria Centeno (Asheville) vs. BATTH, Ameek (Radford) 6-2, 5-3, unfinished
The Bulldogs (15-3) are back in action tomorrow (Saturday, Apr. 20) to face either No. 2 Charleston Southern or No. 3 Gardner-Webb in the Big South Conference Championship. First serve is set for 3:00 p.m. from Marion Diehl Park in Charlotte, N.C.