by Cory Guinn
WILSON, N.C. – The Barton College women's tennis team dropped its third straight non-conference match with a 6-3 loss to Lenoir-Rhyne University on Sunday afternoon at the Barton Tennis Complex.
Lenoir-Rhyne won all three doubles matches, the first two by identical 8-1 scores followed by an 8-4 win at No. 3 doubles play.
In singles play, the Bears won at No. 4, No. 5 and No. 3 to seal the match win. Freshman Vanessa Sanoja won her third straight singles match in a third-set super tiebreaker 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (10-7) in the No. 2 position.
Senior Smiljana Kljajic, play as the team's No. 1, earned a 0-6, 7-6, 1-0 (10-5) victory in the second third-set super tiebreaker of the day, while freshman Rebecca Lamm picked up her second career win by defeating Lenoir-Rhyne's Meaghan Liner 7-6, 6-0 at No. 6 singles.
Barton hosts Bluefield College on Monday, March 7 for its third consecutive non-conference match in Wilson beginning at 1 p.m.
LENOIR-RHYNE 6, BARTON 3
Singles:
1. Smiljana Kljajic (BARTON) def. Dominique Bruce (LR) 0-6, 7-6, 1-0 (10-5)
2. Vanessa Sanoja (BARTON) def. Marta Escanero Funes (LR) 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (10-7)
3. Julia Ponomareva (LR) def. Dana Kelly (BARTON) 6-1, 6-2
4. Lucy Stofberg (LR) def. Whitney Hamilton (BARTON) 6-0, 6-0
5. Taylor Fredrickson (LR) def. Casey Utley (BARTON) 6-0, 6-1
6. Rebecca Lamm (BARTON) def. Meaghan Liner (LR) 7-6, 6-0
Doubles:
1. Marta Escanero Funes/Dominique Bruce (LR) def. Smiljana Kljajic/Dana Kelly (BARTON) 8-1
2. Julia Ponomareva/Lucy Stofberg (LR) def. Whitney Hamilton/Casey Utley (BARTON) 8-1
3. Taylor Fredrickson/Abbi Wood (LR) def. Rebecca Lamm/Vanessa Sanoja (BARTON) 8-4
Records:
Lenoir-Rhyne 6-8
Barton 1-10
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (4,5,3,2,1,6)
