ELON, N.C. – Erica Braschi got the Phoenix on the board in singles action with her 13th straight victory, but the No. 2-seeded Elon University women’s tennis squad suffered a 4-1 setback to No. 3 James Madison in the semifinals of the CAA Women’s Tennis Championships on Saturday, April 23, at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.
The match was decided at No. 3 singles as Kimmy Herrock claimed a 7-2 second-set tiebreaker victory against Natalia Janowicz. Herrock’s 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) win clinched the victory for the Dukes (18-6), sending JMU to the CAA Championship match.
Elon’s season ends with a 14-10 overall record and a 6-2 record against CAA opponents, which includes a 4-1 victory over Drexel in the CAA Championship quarterfinals on Thursday.
HIGHLIGHTS
The Dukes took a 1-0 lead in the match, winning the doubles point. Elon took the lead in the in the doubles point as Olivia Lucas and Suzanne Zenoni picked up a 6-2 win at the No. 3 position. After James Madison picked up a 6-4 win at No. 2, Abby Amos and Rebecca Harris clinched the point with a 7-5 win on court one.
Braschi put the Phoenix on the board to start singles play, winning her 13th straight match. She cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 against JMU’s Rachel Nelson.
JMU took a 3-1 advantage, starting with a 6-4, 6-3 win from Timea Guibe at the No. 1 position, followed by a 6-1, 7-6 (7-1) victory from Emma Peterson on court four. The Dukes clinched the match in Herrock’s 7-2 tiebreak victory on court three.
NOTES
– Erica Braschi finished the season on a 13 match singles winning streak. She concluded her 2016 campaign with a 17-4 overall record in singles action.
– Head coach Elizabeth Anderson earned her first-career conference Coach of the Year Award, leading the Phoenix to a 5-1 regular season record against CAA foes.
– The Phoenix had three players (Braschi, Olivia Lucas, Taylor Casey) make the All-Conference Women’s Tennis squad.