by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Barton College won four singles matches in an improbable comeback effort against Limestone College on Saturday afternoon but the Saints were able to hang on for a 5-4 Conference Carolinas women's tennis victory after sweeping doubles at the Barton Tennis Complex.
Limestone gutted out a couple key wins in doubles that helped the Saints improve to 9-6 overall and 4-1 in the league. Barton (7-6, 4-4) has lost two matches by the slimmest of margins during its current three-match losing streak.
Paige Palinkas and Jessica Reyes Varela edged BC senior Lindsey Frederick and sophomore Meredith Pruden in a dramatic 9-7 showdown in the top doubles draw to complete the doubles sweep. Segolene Ollivier and Julia Moreira knocked off freshman Smiljana Kljajic and freshman Alicia Lasry in a close 8-6 match and Lauren Bolender and Ariel Svantesson topped junior Caroline Fischer and senior Francesca Del Pozo 8-4.
The Lady Bulldogs rally was highlighted by straight set singles wins by Kljajic, Lasry, Frederick and junior Kristy Lievense.
Limestone held with clinching wins at No. 3 by Ollivier and No. 5 by Moreira.
Moreira (12-3) – a Second Team All-Conference honoree last year – continues to dominate the bottom half of singles lineups throughout the league with her eight straight singles win defeating Fischer. Moreira is a flawless 5-0 in conference tilts. Ollivier (10-5) took down Pruden, who just moved up to the third spot in the lineup this week.
Kljajic (2-10), who has had the daunting task of competing atop the Lady Bulldogs singles lineup as a rookie, got back in the win column with a dominating 6-2, 6-1 conquest of Palinkas. Lasry (8-4) matched Kljajic with an identical winning score from the second slot. Frederick (7-6) had the most thrilling singles win at No. 4 with a final score of 7-5, 7-6 (4). Lievense (8-2) added an 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 6, which was her third consecutive triumph.
Barton next visits non-conference Lenoir-Rhyne University in a Southeast Region clash in Hickory, N.C., on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.
