Lady Indians defeat Tusculum, 5-2, to advance to SAC Tournament Finals

Box Score

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. - The top two seeds, Presbyterian and Newberry, both recorded victories to advance to the finals of the 2007 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Women's Tennis Tournament on Saturday. The Palmetto State duo will square off at 3 p.m. at the Nichols Tennis Complex on the campus of Tusculum College.

Presbyterian (13-5) swept No. 4 Mars Hill 5-0 in one semifinal match. Newberry (11-6) rallied from a 2-1 deficit after doubles to post a 5-2 win over host Tusculum (15-6).

The Lady Blue Hose will be in quest of its 14th SAC Tournament title and third in a row. Newberry will be making its first-ever appearance in the finals.

No. 2 Newberry 5, No. 3 Tusculum 2
In a four-and-a-half hour marathon, Newberry captured four singles wins, including a trio of three-set thrillers as the Lady Indians moved onto the finals with a 5-2 win over Tusculum.

Newberry jumped out to an early 1-0 lead as Isabel Kreidler and Bethany Poppe won 8-1 over TC's Bronwyn Hartley and Caroline Crowe at No. 2 doubles.

Tusculum bounced back as the top flight duo of Danae Valderrama and Samantha Cantu were victorious 8-6 in pro set. TC took its first lead of the day when the duo of Jennifer Sparks and Amanda Pike outlasted NC's Chanelle Clare and Tanea Miller 9-7.

Kriedler sparked the Newberry rally at No. 3 singles as she dropped the first se t to Cantu 6-3, but rallied to win the final two frames 6-3, 6-3 to tie the match at 2-2.

The Lady Indians regained the lead at No. 1 singles when Mortimer battled Valderrama to a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 marathon. But the match of the day came at the second flight between Newberry's Lauren Hartley and Sparks. Hartley won the opening set 6-4, but Sparks answered with a 7-5 win in the second. Hartley closed out the match with a 7-5 win in the final frame as Newberry moved up 4-2.

Miller sealed the win at No. 4 singles as she won 6-3, 6-3 over TC's Bronwyn Hartley for the fifth and deciding point.

It was a unique family affair on Saturday as Bronwyn (TC) and Lauren (NC) Hartley are sisters.

No. 2 Newberry 5, No. 3 Tusculum 2
Singles
1 - Autise Mortimer (NC) def. Danae Valderrama, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
2 - Lauren Hartley (NC) def. Jennifer Sparks, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5
3 - Isabel Kreidler (NC) def. Samantha Cantu, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
4 - Tanea Miller (NC) def. Bronwyn Hartley, 6-3, 6-3
5 - Chanelle Clare (NC) vs. Amanda Pike (TC), DNF
6 - Bethany Poppe (NC) vs. Heidi von der Lage (TC), DNF

Doubles
1 - Valderrama/Cantu (TC) def. Mortimer/L. Hartley, 8-6
2 - Kreidler/Poppe (NC) def. B. Hartley/Caroline Crowe, 8-1
3 - Sparks/Pike (TC) def. Clare/Miller, 9-7
Records: Newberry 11-6; Tusculum 15-6

No. 1 Presbyterian 5, No. 4 Mars Hill 0
Presbyterian punched its ticket for the SAC Tournament finals with a 5-0 shutout of Mars Hill.

PC jumped out to a 3-0 advantage followin g doubles playing. Catherine Bankhead and Abby Diminich won their No. 1 doubles match against MHC's Nancie Gruber and Aylin Seyalioglu. Lisa Moyer and Brittany Lanford won 8-5 in pro sets at No. 3 doubles. SAC Player of the Year Lauren Brown and Virginia Waldron captured their No. 2 flight doubles contest 8-4

Bankhead tallied Presbyterian's fourth point of the match with her 6-4, 6-2 victory over Whitney Stroud. Brown closed out the match with her 6-3, 6-2 win at the No. 1 flight against Seyalioglu.

No. 1 Presbyterian 5, No. 4 Mars Hill 0
Singles
1 - Lauren Brown (PC) def. Aylin Seyalioglu, 6-3, 6-2
2 - Lisa Moyer (PC) vs. Nancie Gruber (MHC), DNF
3 - Catherine Bankhead (PC) def. Whitney Stroud, 6-3, 6-2
4 - Abby Diminich (PC) vs. Patricia La Rovere (MHC), DNF
5 - Kari Fuller (PC) vs. Maranda Dellinger (MHC), DNF
6 - Brittany Lanford (PC) vs. Kim Blythe (MHC), DNF

Doubles
1 - Bankhead/Diminich (PC) def. Gruber/Seyalioglu, 8-5
2 - Brown/Virginia Waldron (PC) def. La Rovere/Stroud, 8-4
3 - Moyer/Lanford (PC) def. Blythe/Dellinger, 8-5
Records: Presbyterian 13-5; Mars Hill 16-6