ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Two doubles wins and three straight-sets singles victories propelled seventh-seeded Radford to a 4-0 win over 10th-seeded Longwood in the first round of the 2015 Big South Women's Tennis Championship at the Asheville Racquet Club.
 
Against a Longwood team competing in its third Big South tournament, the Highlanders (7-11) won at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles, 8-3 and 8-2, and then took down the Lancers in the Nos. 2, 3 and 6 singles. The four points earned Radford a first-round win and a trip to Thursday's quarterfinal matchup against second-seeded Coastal Carolina.
 
The first-round exit signals the end of a breakthrough season for the Lancers (10-14), who won 10 matches for the third time in the program's eight-year Division I era. That success came in the first season under head coach Bruce Myers, who mentored four double-digit singles winners in his first spring at Longwood.
 
"We actually played really well today, much better than we did our first match against Radford," said Myers, whose Lancers fell 5-2 at Radford in the first meeting on March 21. "We were ahead in the unfinished matches today, but it wasn't enough. Radford is a better team, but I'm proud of how we fought throughout our lineup. We were winning the unfished matches, but it just wasn't enough. "
 
Radford's Natalie Sayer and Gemma Valls teamed up for a No. 1 doubles win over Longwood's top duo of Malin Allgurin and Paloma Alatorre and then split for singles action where they each picked up the first two singles victories of the day at Nos. 2 and 3 over Anna Pelak, 6-0, 6-4, and Maria Coronel, 6-2, 6-0. Meg Napolitano, who was in on a No. 3 doubles win with partner Grace Sarver, followed with a match-clinching win at No. 6 singles, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) over Longwood senior Nicole Parker.
 
Napolitano's victory gave Radford its match-clinching fourth point of the day, securing the win and halting all other bouts in progress due to postseason length of play rules. The ceasefire halted potential wins-in-progress for Longwood at Nos. 1 and 5 where ace Allgurin and 2015 wins leader Mason Thomas each held the advantage after the first set.
 
The premature end to Allgurin's match cut short her bid at becoming Longwood's first 60-match winner in the Division I era. Allgurin, who entered the matchup 59-55 all-time, was leading Radford No. 1 Taylor Newman, 6-2, 3-3 but saw her last shot at adding to her school Division I wins record end in limbo. Allgurin, who spent her final two seasons locking up Longwood's No. 1 singles spot, will end her career ranked second all-time in school history in total wins.
 
With the graduation of Allgurin and Parker, Longwood will return four of its six starters and reserve Lauren Tucker for the 2015-16 season. That returning quintet combined for a 50-67 singles record with Thomas anchoring that record with a team-best 16-7 mark in singles play.
 
"It will be a longer summer, and I hope my players will take stock of their performance over the season and put in the necessary work to come back this fall as better players," Myers said.
 
Radford 4, Longwood 0
Apr 15, 2015
Asheville, N.C. (Asheville Racquet Club)
 
Singles competition
1. Malin Allgurin (LWU) vs. Taylor Newman (RAD) 2-6, 3-3, unfinished
2. Natalie Sayer (RAD) def. Anna Pelak (LWU) 6-0, 6-4
3. Gemma Valls (RAD) def. Maria Coronel (LWU) 6-2, 6-0
4. Taylor Fay (RAD) vs. Paloma Alatorre (LWU) 6-4, unfinished
5. Mason Thomas (LWU) vs. Grace Sarver (RAD) 6-7, unfinished
6. Meg Napolitano (RAD) def. Nicole Parker (LWU) 6-3, 7-6 (7-2)
 
Doubles competition
1. Natalie Sayer/Gemma Valls (RAD) def. Malin Allgurin/Paloma Alatorre (LWU) 8-3
2. Nicole Parker/Anna Pelak (LWU) vs. Taylor Newman/Taylor Fay (RAD) 4-7, unfinished
3. Grace Sarver/Meg Napolitano (RAD) def. Mason Thomas/Maria Coronel (LWU) 8-2
 
Match Notes
Longwood: 10-14
Radford: 7-11
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (3,2,6)
Official: Wayne Tesh

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