Women's Tennis Downs Charlotte in 5-2 Triumph

NORFOLK, Va. - Appalachian State University women's tennis (3-2) got back on the winning track with a 5-2 triumph over Charlotte (2-1) on Saturday afternoon at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center.

The Mountaineers handed the 49ers their first loss of the season by capturing two out of three doubles matches and four of six singles contests. Singles was about as close you could ask for with three affairs that were decided in three sets. 

"A great week of practice let to this great team victory," head coach Blake Mosley mentioned after the triumph. "I'm very proud of the way we fought and stayed true to our identities when we faced adversity. Credit to Charlotte for a tough battle to the end."

App State started off the afternoon on the right foot with Teodora Sevo and Melissa Machado coming away with a 6-3 triumph over Sasha Lee/Rocio Safont as the No. 3 duo. Heidi Swope/María José Zacarias gave App the 1-0 lead going into singles when the pairing dealt Tai Martin/Immie Cooper a 6-4 loss as the No. 1 tandem. 

The momentum rolled straight over to singles play where the Apps captured the first three finished matches to earn the win. 

Continuing the solid day for the Apps was Machado, who defeated Megan Smith in straight sets (6-2, 6-2) to give App a 2-0 lead. Zacarias ended her day on a high note with another solid victory as she defeated Martin playing the No. 1 in the lineup in a straight-set win, 6-1, 6-4.

Sevo clinched the match in straight sets but needed a tiebreaking first stanza 7-6 (7-5), followed by capturing the 6-3 win in the final frame over Lee in a matchup between the No. 2s. Both of Charlotte's points had to go to three sets where Swope fell to Pierina Imparato, 6-1, 4-6, 3-6, while Emily Gaskins came back to push a match-deciding third frame, but lost to Zoe Radojicic, 2-6, 6-2, 4-6. Taylor Bygrave successfully earned a third singles win in a hard-earned three-set victory over Safont, 7-6, 2-6, 7-5. The junior won the first frame before Safont forced a third stanza followed by Bygrave taking the contest back over. 


Appalachian will look for another impressive win as it faces a tough foe in Old Dominion tomorrow at 2 p.m.