by Doug Page
WILSON, N.C. – The Barton College women's tennis team picked up its first win at home this season as the Lady Bulldogs defeated Methodist University, 6-3, on Saturday in non-conference action.
The No. 1 doubles tandem of junior Daria Avram and sophomore Marissa Stevenson recorded an 8-2 win against the Meredith (3-2) duo of Davi Barbour and Riley Zopp to give the Lady Bulldogs (2-4) a 1-0 lead in the match.
Barton's No. 3 tandem of freshman Claudia Capellades and junior Whitney Hamilton won a pair of games against Ashton Walker and Laura Brown but would drop an 8-2 decision to even the match at 1-1. Junior Vanessa Sanoja and freshman Ada Vargas defeated Jenna Landis and Audrey Greeson 8-3 at the No. 2 doubles position to send Barton into singles play with a 2-1 lead against the Monarchs.
The Monarch knotted the match at 2-2 following a 6-1, 6-1 victory by Taylor Jackson at the No. 6 position against Hamilton. Sanoja responded by giving BC the edge back as her 6-0, 6-3 victory against Barbour at the No. 2 spot made it 3-2 Lady Bulldogs.
Capellades would retire from her game against Zopp with the first set tied 6-6 as Methodist evened the score in the match once again at 3-3. Stevenson and Walker would battle at the No. 3 position as Stevenson came away with a 6-2, 6-3 victory to give Barton a 4-3 advantage.
Vargas would clinch the match for the Lady Bulldogs at the No. 4 position with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 victory against Brown. The game between Vargas and Brown would be the only one of the day to require a third set. Avram tallied the sixth victory of the day for BC in the No. 1 spot against Landis. The two would battle as Avram outlasted Landis 7-5, 6-4 to make it 6-3 Barton.
Barton will host Francis Marion University on Feb. 28 at 2 p.m. and then hit the road for a pair of matches against Shaw and Bluefield State.
