FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood freshman
Yulia Almiron and sophomore
Jamie Breunig were unbeatable, but Gardner-Webb controlled the rest of the matchups in Saturday afternoon's Big South Showdown to take down Longwood 5-2 at Lancer Courts.
Almiron and Breunig, who stacked up in Longwood's top two singles positions together for only the second time this season, won their doubles bout together and then rattled off back-to-back straight-sets wins at singles Nos. 1 and 2. Almiron knocked off Gardner-Webb No. 1 Sandra Bolstad 7-5, 6-1, and Breunig took down Sarah Rieckman 6-3, 6-4 at No. 2.
Those wins followed the pair's 7-6 (10-3) doubles win at the No. 2 slot, which was their third straight as a pair. Along with that doubles streak, Almiron and Breunig are now a combined 4-0 when playing together in Longwood's top two singles slots.
However, Gardner-Webb (4-13, 1-7 Big South) was able to overcome Almiron and Breunig's dominance by taking hold of the remaining singles matches en route to three straight-sets wins and a victory by default. Gardner-Webb's Daniela Naupari struck the first blow with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Longwood freshman standout
Tanja Skalda, whose loss was only her sixth this spring.
Lancer sophomore
Marija Venta also fell 6-3, 6-1 to Miljana Ristic at No. 3, and freshman
Kaori Terunuma dropped a 6-3, 6-2 matchup to Valentine Limauge.
The loss signals the end of the 2018 spring regular season for the Lancers, who will now have a four-day break to prepare for the Big South Championship tournament that starts Wednesday, April 18. The Lancers' first-round matchup will be announced this weekend following the conclusion of all Big South matches.
Gardner-Webb 5, Longwood 2
4-14-18 at Farmville, Va. (Lancer Courts)
Singles competition
1. ALMIRON, Yulia (LWUW) def. BOLSTAD, Sandra (GWU) 7-5, 6-1
2. BREUNIG, Jamie (LWUW) def. RIECKMAN, Sarah (GWU) 6-3, 6-4
3. RISTIC, Miljana (GWU) def. VENTA, Marija (LWUW) 6-3, 6-1
4. NAUPARI, Daniela (GWU) def. SKALDA, Tanja (LWUW) 6-1, 6-1
5. LIMAUGE, Valentine (GWU) def. TERUNUMA, Kaori (LWUW) 6-3, 6-2
6. ROMERO, Paula (GWU) def. CANDIOTTO, Julia (LWUW) 2-1, won by default
Doubles competition
1. BOLSTAD, Sandra/RISTIC, Miljana (GWU) def. VENTA, Marija/TERUNUMA, Kaori (LWUW) 6-3
2. BREUNIG, Jamie/ALMIRON, Yulia (LWUW) def. LIMAUGE, Valentine/RIECKMAN, Sarah (GWU) 7-6 (0-3)
3. NAUPARI, Daniela/ROMERO, Paula (GWU) def. SKALDA, Tanja/CANDIOTTO, Julia (LWUW) 6-3
Match Notes
Gardner-Webb 4-13, 1-7
Longwood 8-10, 0-8
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