Elon's women's tennis team defeated Samford to claim the program's first SoCon Tournament championship.
The Elon Phoenix captured the 2014 Southern Conference Women’s Tennis Tournament Championship with a 4-2 win over Samford April 19 at the Champions Club in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Phoenix, who won their first SoCon tournament title, earned the doubles point and picked up three singles victory to take the win.
Elon’s Frida Jansaker and Maria Camara Ruiz won a tiebreaker at No. 2 to clinch the doubles point for the Phoenix as they claimed their set, 8-7 (7-4). Earlier in doubles play Jordan Johnston and Barbora Lazarova defeated Kristin Lewis and Emily Mallory, 8-5, at No. 1, while Samford’s Stephanie N’tcha and Jessica Northcutt posted an 8-6 win over Taylor Casey and Bryn Khoury at the No. 3 position.
N’tcha put Samford (20-3) on the board with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Johnston at No. 1. With the match score 1-1, the Phoenix took a 2-1 lead when Barbora Lazarova recorded a 6-3, 6-3, win over Jessica Northcutt at No. 4.
Trailing 3-1, Samford cut Elon’s lead minutes later as Lauren Caballero topped Tolley Rice 6-3, 7-5.
With the Phoenix holding a 3-2 advantage in the match, Maria Camara Ruiz pushed her match at No. 5 singles to a third set where she was able to claim a 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Emily Mallory and clinch the win for Elon (15-8).
Jansaker was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. The senior from Kristianstad, Sweden, won all three of her singles matches and was a part of three victories in doubles play for the Phoenix.