BALTIMORE – The first collegiate singles duals wins for Longwood freshmen Isis Gill-Reid and Daniela Diez highlighted a freshman-laden 7-0 sweep over Coppin State Friday afternoon at the CSU Tennis Complex.
 
Opting to sit his top two players Fallon Burger and Anna Pelak in the midst of a four-game spring break road trip, head coach Bruce Myers deployed a lineup that featured four freshmen and a sophomore newcomer. That group, also without No. 4 Paloma Alatorre and No. 6 Maria Coronel, stepped up with four straight-sets singles wins and a doubles sweep to give the Lancers their first 7-0 win of the season.
 
"Today was a really nice opportunity to get some of our freshmen match experience," Myers said. "They have worked hard all year, and it showed today. The difference in their level of play today from the fall was night and day. It makes you proud as a coach."
 
With ace Burger and No. 2 Pelak resting on the sidelines in advance of Saturday's doubleheader at Rider and Delaware, Gill-Reid ascended to the No. 1 spot where she recorded her first collegiate singles win over Coppin State's Carentxa Goede, 3-6, 6-2, 10-1.
 
That victory locked up the 7-0 thrashing for the Lancers (5-5), who gave up just three games combined in their singles wins at Nos. 2-5, along with a forfeit at No. 6. The lone set win for Coppin State (0-2) came from ace Goede in her opening frame against Gill-Reid.
 
"Today was a really rough day for me. It was a really emotional match," said Gill-Reid, a Manhattan, N.Y., native who has played her first nine singles bouts at Nos. 1-3 and all nine doubles bouts at No. 1. "I was really happy to finally get that win. I'm just thankful to have gotten that first college win playing the way I played. Go Wood."
 
The marathon singles victory was the second win of the afternoon for Gill-Reid, who paired with fellow freshman Alex Brown to knock off Goede and Ashley Milo 6-2 in a doubles-point-clinching win at No. 1.  That followed Mason Thomas and Tess Willis' quick 6-0 sweep over Miranda Taylor and Precious Udofe at the No. 2 spot and a forfeit at No. 3.
 
Willis and Thomas won their singles bouts as well with Thomas – Longwood's usual No. 4 – upending Milo 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 singles. Willis, meanwhile, improved to 2-0 in her young career with her second straight 6-0, 6-0 sweep, this one over Taylor at No. 3.
 
Brown went 2-0 on the day as well, sweeping Tanna Nita 6-0, 6-0, at No. 4 singles to improve to 3-2 on the year. That win came in Brown's highest spot in the lineup this season, playing ahead of No. 5 Diez, who won her first collegiate bout, 6-1, 6-1 over Udofe at No. 5.
 
Longwood will ride Friday's momentum into a long Saturday that features road matches at two different sites. The Lancers open the day with a 10 a.m. bout at Rider in Lawrence Township, N.J., before making the 80-mile trek to Newark, Del., to face Delaware at 6:30 p.m.
 
Longwood 7, Coppin State 0
March 11, 2016
CSU Tennis Complex (Baltimore, Md.)
 
Singles
1. GILL-REID, Isis (LWU) def. GOEDE,Carentxa (COPP) 3-6, 6-2, 10-1
2. THOMAS, Mason (LWU) def. MILO,Ashley (COPP) 6-1, 6-0
3. WILLIS, Tess (LWU) def. TAYLOR,Miranda (COPP) 6-0, 6-0
4. BROWN, Alex (LWU) def. NITA,Tanna (COPP) 6-0, 6-0
5. DIEZ, Daniela (LWU) def. UDOFE,Precious (COPP) 6-1, 6-1
6. WHEELER, Jodie (LWU) def. No player (COPP), by default
 
Doubles
1. GILL-REID, Isis/BROWN, Alex (LWU) def. GOEDE,Carentxa/MILO,Ashley (COPP) 6-2
2. THOMAS, Mason/WILLIS, Tess (LWU) def. TAYLOR,Miranda/UDOFE,Precious (COPP) 6-0
3. DIEZ, Daniela/WHEELER, Jodie (LWU) def. NITA,Tanna/No player (COPP), by default
 
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (6,4,3,5,2,1)
 
#GoWood