College Women’s Tennis Final – Guilford 5, Sweet Briar 4

SWEET BRIAR, Va. – Delaney Taylor’s 4-6, 6-0, 6-0 win over Lexi Culley gave visiting Guilford College a 5-4 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) tennis win over Sweet Briar College Saturday.

The victory in Guilford’s (3-14, 1-11 ODAC) season finale snapped an eight-game losing streak and extended the Vixens’ (2-14, 0-9 ODAC) losing skein to eight.

The Quakers opened a 2-1 lead after doubles play thanks to Olivia La Ganza and Alex Giddens’ narrow 9-7 win over Culley and Erin Wrenn at second doubles. The Quakers’ Megan Kimpel and Mackenzie Calton won at third doubles over the Vixens’ Ruth Lechner and My-Xuan Hillegas, 8-4.

The teams split the first two singles matches. Sweet Briar’s Emily Wandling downed Makayla McLaurin, 6-0, 6-2, at the number-one match. Giddens dispatched of Hillegas, 6-0, 6-1 at sixth singles.

Lechner tied the match at 3-3 with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Kimpel at fourth singles. Calton’s 7-5, 6-2 win over Wrenn at fifth singles put the Quakers back on top before Sweet Briar’s Lacey Tucker turned back La Ganza at third singles, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1. The decision tied the score at 4-4 with Taylor and Culley deadlocked at one set apiece.

After dropping a close 6-4 decision in the first set, Taylor roared back to win the next two sets, 6-0, 6-0, which clinched the Quakers’ win in their final match of the season.

Coach Kim Kleimeier ’13 graduates La Ganza and McLaurin from this year’s team, but is slated to return the rest of the squad next year.

Tennis Match Results
Guilford vs Sweet Briar
04/20/19 at Sweet Briar, Va.
(Dennis Van Der Meer Tennis Center)
Guilford 5, Sweet Briar 4

Singles competition
1. Emily Wandling (SBC) def. Makayla Mclaurin (GCW) 6-0, 6-2
2. Delaney Taylor (GCW) def. Lexi Culley (SBC) 4-6, 6-0, 6-0
3. Lacey Tucker (SBC) def. Olivia La Ganza (GCW) 7-6 (7-4), 6-1
4. Ruth Lechner (SBC) def. Megan Kimpel (GCW) 6-3, 6-1
5. Mackenzie Calton (GCW) def. Emily Wrenn (SBC) 7-5, 6-2
6. Alex Giddens (GCW) def. My-Xuan Hillengas (SBC) 6-0, 6-1

Doubles competition
1. Emily Wandling/Lacey Tucker (SBC) def. Makayla Mclaurin/Delaney Taylor (GCW) 8-1
2. Olivia La Ganza/Alex Giddens (GCW) def. Emily Wrenn/Lexi Culley (SBC) 9-7
3. Megan Kimpel/Mackenzie Calton (GCW) def. Ruth Lechner/My-Xuan Hillengas (SBC) 8-4

Match Notes:
Guilford 3-14, 1-11 ODAC
Sweet Briar 2-14, 0-9 ODAC
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (1,6,4,5,3,2)
Old Dominion Athletic Conference match
T-3:00
A-15