Columbia, S.C. – No. 26 South Carolina women’s tennis earned a dominant 6-1 victory at Ole Miss on Friday. The Gamecocks took the doubles point and five of six singles matches for the victory.
In doubles, the duo of Ana Cruz and Allie Gretkowski were first to record a win with a near shutout score of 6-1 from the No. 3 position. The Rebels responded shortly after, taking a 6-3 win from the No. 2 spot in the lineup. It was the nation’s No. 70 pair of Ayana Akli and Sarah Hamner who finally clinched the point, recording a commanding 6-2 win from the top spot in the lineup.
In singles, sophomore Misa Malkin was first to add to South Carolina’s lead, defeating her opponent with a powerful 6-1, 6-1 decision from the No. 4 position. The win marks Malkin’s third consecutive singles win and makes her a perfect 3-0 in SEC play.
No. 16 Hamner was next to record a win, shutting out her opponent 6-0 in the first set and closing the match out with a 6-2 second set. Hamner is also now on a three-match singles win streak with all three wins coming from the No. 2 position. She is now 17-8 overall and 5-3 in dual play.
At the top of the lineup, No. 6 Akli remained undefeated, taking down No. 62 Ludmilla Karesova in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4 to clinch the match. Akli is a perfect 11-0 in dual play, all from the No. 1 position. She is on a 14 match win streak with 11 of those wins coming over ranked opponents.
The Rebels finally put a point on the board next with Lillian Gabreilsen taking down South Carolina’s Gracie Mulville in a third set tiebreaker. Gabrielsen took the first set 6-2, but Mulville responded with a 7-5 second set. With the match already clinched, the final set was played as a tiebreaker with Gabrielsen coming out on top 10-2.
The next point came from the bottom of the lineup where freshman McKenna Schaefbauer recorded her fourth consecutive singles win. The freshman was slow to start, giving up the first set 0-6, but responded with a 6-4 win in the second set to force a third. In the third Schaefbauer jumped out to a 3-1 lead and carried the momentum throughout, winning the final set 6-3.
The last match on was senior Elise Mills versus Ole Miss’s Emma Kette. The Gamecock had to battle from behind after dropping the first set 4-6, but she responded with a 6-2 second set and a 6-4 third set to take the win.
The women’s tennis team will continue SEC play on the road on Sunday, traveling to Starkville to take on Mississippi State. The…