LYNCHBURG, Va. – Nicole Parker and Maria Coronel each notched a pair of victories in singles, but the Longwood women's tennis team dropped its Big South opener to in-state foe Liberty, 5-2, Wednesday afternoon at The Sports Racket. Liberty improves to 8-2 overall and 1-0 in conference play, while Longwood falls to 3-5 on the season and 0-1 in Big South competition
 
"Liberty is a better and much deeper team than we are," Longwood head coach Bruce Myers said. "It showed us where we need to be in order to really compete in the Big South. I'm really proud of the way Nicole and Maria not only competed but did what it took to win their singles matches."
 
The loss is the fifth straight for the Lancers, who captured victories in its first three matches of the season to open with a 3-0 record. The extreme temperatures and snow that has hit the Farmville area in recent weeks has impacted Longwood's outdoor practice schedule.
 
Liberty was able to sweep the doubles competition to win the crucial point and take a 1-0 lead. At the No. 2 position, the Flames pair of Valerie Thong and Evangeline Crist earned an 8-0 victory over Longwood's Parker and Anna Pelak. Meanwhile, Mariely Hassey and Emily Groeneveld clinched the doubles point for Liberty on court three with an 8-2 decision over Longwood's tandem of Mason Thomas and Maria Coronel.
 
Brittany Yang and Marie Khval completed the sweep for the Flames, as the pair earned a hard-fought, 8-5, win over Longwood's duo of Malin Allgurin.
 
Liberty used its momentum from doubles to win the first four matches and seal the team victory. On court two, Hassey earned a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Pelak, while Thong extended the Liberty lead to 3-0 with a 6-0, 6-3 victory at the fifth position over Thomas. The loss for Thomas is the second of the season for the sophomore, as she falls to 6-2.
 
Nicola Wellman clinched the team win for Liberty from the No. 4 position of the lineup with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Alatorre.
 
Parker and Coronel picked up a pair of thrilling victories in a decisive 10-point tiebreak. Coronel was the first Lancer to capture a victory from the No. 3 position, defeating Groneveld, 6-2, 0-6, 1-0 (4), while Parker followed with a 6-2, 3-6, 1-0 (4) victory at the No. 6 spot in the lineup.
 
Longwood will return to the courts Monday, March 3 for a neutral site match against Western Carolina in Spartanburg, S.C. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m.
 
Liberty 5, Longwood 2
Feb 25, 2015 at Lynchburg,Va. (Sports Racket)
 
Singles
1. RIVERA, Belen (LIBERTY) def. Malin Allgurin (LWU) 6-3, 6-1
2. HASSEY, Mariely (LIBERTY) def. Anna Pelak (LWU) 6-0, 6-1
3. Maria Coronel (LWU) def. GROENEVELD, Emily (LIBERTY) 6-2, 0-6, 10-4
4. WELLMAN, Nicola (LIBERTY) def. Paloma Alatorre (LWU) 6-0, 6-1
5. THONG, Valerie (LIBERTY) def. Mason Thomas (LWU) 6-0, 6-3
6. Nicole Parker (LWU) def. MABE, Lauren (LIBERTY) 6-2, 3-6, 10-4
 
Doubles
1. YANG/KHVAL (LIBERTY) def. Allgurin/Alatorre (LWU) 8-5
2. THONG/CRIST (LIBERTY) def. Pelak/Parker (LWU) 8-0
3. HASSEY/GROENEVELD (LIBERTY) def. Thomas/Coronel (LWU) 8-2
 
Match Notes
Longwood 3-5
Liberty 8-2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (2,5,4,1,3,6)
T-3:30
 
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