FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – The Salisbury University women's tennis team opened the 2019 season with a pair of neutral site matches played at the University of Mary Washington, coming away with wins against Methodist University and Franklin & Marshall College.
Salisbury 6, Methodist 3
The Sea Gulls began their season with a 6-3 win, coming from behind to beat the Monarchs (1-3). Methodist claimed two of the three doubles matches to take a 2-1 lead. The lone doubles point for Salisbury came at No. 2 where senior Taylor Cooper and sophomore Laura Brown earned an 8-2 win.
The other two doubles matches were closer, but the Monarchs pulled them out with junior Annika Kezman and sophomore Sydney Soto falling at No. 1 by a 9-8 (9-7) score and at No. 3 where senior Shannon Hickman and freshman Sarah Dover dropped an 8-5 decision.
Salisbury came back with five points in singles, as Brown earned the most lopsided win, picking up a 6-2, 6-2 victory at No. 2. Kezman took a 7-5, 6-3 win at No. 1 while Soto at No. 4 and Dover at No. 6 also won in straight sets. Soto won 7-6 (9-7), 6-2 and Dover won 7-6 (7-4), 6-4.
Cooper needed three sets, but earned a 7-5, 1-6, 10-8 victory at No. 3 while Hickman fell at No. 5 by a 6-4, 6-2 score.
Salisbury 8, Franklin & Marshall 1
Salisbury took two of the three doubles matches against the Diplomats (0-2) to start things off. Cooper and Brown claimed an 8-0 win at No. 2 while Hickman and Dover won 8-4 at No. 3. Kezman and Soto took another tie-breaker loss at No. 1, falling 9-8 (7-5).
The Sea Gulls (2-0) swept the six singles matches, winning five in straight sets. Cooper claimed the No. 3 spot with a 6-1, 6-1 win while Brown, at No. 2, and Soto, at No. 4 gave up just four games each, with wins of 6-1, 6-3 and 6-2, 6-2, respectively.
Hickman picked up a 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 5 and Kezman took a 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 1. Dover went three sets, but came from behind to take the No. 6 match 2-6, 7-6 (7-3), 10-5.
The Sea Gulls will be off for the next two weeks before hosting Catholic University of America on Saturday, March 2 in their first home match of the year.
