The Sweet Briar tennis team beat the Roanoke College Maroons today.  With a battle on each court, this match-up went to the Vixens 5-4.

Doubles play started the match and the teams were all into their matches when just enough rain came in to make the courts slick.  The match moved indoors to Sweet Briar's Upchurch Field House to complete the doubles.  Sweet Briar's first team of Virginia Edahl ('10/Charlotte, N.C.) and Moriah Burke ('13/Rockville, Mary.) won 8-3, and Leslie Polaski ('10/Amherst, Va.) and Ann Roach ('13/North Oaks, Minn.) took third court, 8-2. The duo of Krista Maldonado ('12/Ennis, Texas) and Glory Bowman ('13/Roanoke, Va.) lost at second doubles, 8-4.  The Vixens went back outside with a 2-1 lead to complete the match with the six singles positions.

Each court was contentious and both teams battled for their point.  Moriah Burke dominated her court, taking the win in straight sets, 6-3, 6-0. But at the third singles position Maldonado lost 6-3, 6-1.  The Vixens were still up by a narrow margin, 3-2.

At the sixth singles position, sophomore Julia Green (Vancouver, Wash.) played strong and steady to take her point with a straight set win of 6-1, 6-1. Sweet Briar was now up 4-2 with three singles courts remaining and rain threatening. 

The first singles court was a battle at the baseline and the first set went back and forth staying tight to the end.  A set tie-breaker (first to seven points) was played at 6-all, and Virginia Edahl played with confidence and determination to overcome first-year player Laura Dodson of Roanoke.  Edahl won the tie-break 11-9, and then, keeping her momentum, steamrolled through the second set to take it 6-0.  This win clinched it for the Vixens with their fifth point.

Still playing with the match decided were fourth and fifth singles.  Glory Bowman split sets with her opponent on court four and was in the third set when Edahl clinched the fifth point.  Bowman rallied but her Roanoke opponent prevailed in the thirds set.  Scores were 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.

Ellen Reid ('12/Germanton, N.C.) worked her way back from a 3-game deficit in both the first and second sets, but could not dig out of the whole completely.  Roanoke took the fifth court with scores of 7-5, 6-4.

Sweet Briar Tennis will travel to Lynchburg College on Wednesday for a 3:30pm match with the goal of continued success in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.

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Tennis Match Results

Roanoke College vs Sweet Briar College

Mar 29, 2010 at Sweet Briar

Sweet Briar College 5, Roanoke College 4

Singles competition

1. Virginia Edahl (SBCTN10) def. Laura Dodson (RC) 7-6, 6-0
2. Moriah Burke (SBCTN10) def. Kelsey White (RC) 6-3, 6-0
3. Corbin Leitch (RC) def. Krista Maldonado (SBCTN10) 6-3, 6-1
4. Lucy Webb (RC) def. Glory Bowman (SBCTN10) 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
5. Caroline Hunter (RC) def. Ellen Reid (SBCTN10) 7-5, 6-4
6. Julia Green (SBCTN10) def. Tessa Bramhall (RC) 6-1, 6-1

Doubles competition

1. Virginia Edahl/Moriah Burke (SBCTN10) def. Laura Dodson/Corbin Leitch (RC) 8-3
2. Kristin Nagy/Kelsey White (RC) def. Krista Maldonado/Glory Bowman (SBCTN10) 8-4
3. Ann Roach/Leslie Polaski (SBCTN10) def. Tessa Bramhall/Caroline Hunter (RC) 8-2

Match Notes:

Sweet Briar College 9-3, 4-2 ODAC