2004 Food Lion SAC Women's Tennis Championship: Tusculum Claims First Title
April 23, 2004

All Festival Press Releases

ROCK HILL, S.C. - The top seed and #21st-ranked Tusculum College Lady Pioneers (20-0) defeated the No. 2 seed Presbyterian College Blue Hose 5-1 in the championship match of the 2004 Food Lion/South Atlantic Conference Women's Tennis Championships held at the Memorial Courts on the campus of Winthrop University Friday morning.

The win gives the Lady Pioneers their first Food Lion/SAC Tournament title and ends PC's (12-4) seven-year reign as defending tournament champions.

Tusculum went ahead 2-1 after doubles as sophomore Claudia Bolivar (Kissimmee, Fla.) and junior Gabriela Mora (Barquisimeto, Venezuela) defeated PC's junior Elise Netzler (Rock Hill, S.C.) and sophomore Lauren Brown (Gaffney, S.C.) 8-6 at #2 doubles.

PC picked up the win at #1 doubles as junior Taylor Lynch (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) and freshman Catherine Bankhead (Amarillo, Tex.) defeated TC's senior Lesley Murray (Snellville, Ga.) and sophomore Maria Nevarez (Guayaquil, Ecuador) 8-5 for the second time this season.

The Lady Pioneers pulled ahead 2-1 after sophomore Jobria McCracken (Douglasville, Ga.) and freshman Danae Valderrama (Orlando, Fla.) defeated PC's junior Amanda Floyd (Athens, Tenn.) and freshman Lisa Moyer (Florence, S.C.) 8-5 at #3 doubles.

In singles, Murray defeated PC's Bankhead 7-5, 6-1 at #1 singles and Valderrama defeated PC's Brown 6-2, 6-4 to increase TC's lead to 4-1. The Lady Pioneers clinched the title at #3 singles as Bolivar defeated PC's Netzler 7-5, 6-2.

Tusculum improves to 20-0 on the season while Presbyterian falls to 12-4. Both teams will return to action May 7-9 as they will compete in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regionals.