FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood's women's tennis players have waited two months to show out for their home fans.
 
When their moment came Saturday against Big South rival UNC Asheville, they made sure not to miss it.
 
Junior Jamie Breunig sparked the home crowd at the Lancer Courts with a match-clinching win at No. 2 singles to send Longwood (9-5, 1-3 Big South) to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Bulldogs. The singles win was Breunig's ninth in her past 10 matches and came in comeback fashion, 2-6, 7-6, 7-5, as she defeated UNC Asheville's Emily Sidor to secure the Lancers' first Big South win of the season.
 
"We're really excited for the win today," said Breunig, who improved to 11-3 on the spring and 3-1 in Big South play. "It was nice to be able to look around and see everyone competing hard. All our hard work is starting to show, and we're excited to see what else we will be able to accomplish."
 
The win was Longwood's first over UNC Asheville (6-5, 1-3 Big South) since joining the Big South seven years ago, snapping a six-match losing streak to the Bulldogs. It also avenged a 5-2 loss the Lancers suffered to Big South powerhouse Campbell Friday in the home opener.
 
Surrounded on the court by a cheering section of her teammates and in the stands by Longwood fans, Breunig stole the spotlight and locked up her third-set win over Sidor to a chorus of cheers and a mob from her fellow Lancers.
 
Breunig's win was the culmination of a day that started with Longwood winning the doubles point for the first time in Big South play and continued with singles wins at Nos. 3 and 4 from Yulia Almiron and Emma Nurgazieva. Almiron picked up the first of those after her No. 3 opponent Taylor Love retired in the second set, and Nurgazieva followed with a 7-5, 6-1 win over No. 4 counterpart Christin Louw.
 
That singles win was the third straight for the freshman Nurgazieva and improved her singles record to a team-leading 12-1.
 
It also set the stage for Breunig's clincher, which she secured as one of the two remaining matches in play on Longwood's courts. The other was her redshirt freshman teammate Crystal Nzewi, who padded the lead with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 win over No. 6 counterpart Lauren Watson-Steele.
 
The Lancers have little time to celebrate Saturday's win, as they will head to Howard Sunday for their third match in three days. That first serve is set for 1 p.m. in Washington, D.C.
 
Longwood 5, UNC Asheville 2
March 23, 2019
Farmville, Va. (Lancer Courts)
 
Singles competition
1. MORKEL, Lize Alet (AVLW) def. VENTA, Marija (LWU) 3-6, 6-1, 6-3
2. BREUNIG, Jamie (LWU) def. SIDOR, Emily (AVLW) 2-6, 7-6, 7-5
3. ALMIRON, Yulia (LWU) def. LOVE, Taylo (AVLW) 6-4, retired
4. NURGAZIEVA, Emma (LWU) def. LOUW, Christin (AVLW) 7-5, 6-1
5. SHIPLEY, Kylee (AVLW) def. TYLEK, Anika (LWU) 6-0, 6-0
6. NZEWI, Crystal (LWU) def. WATSON-STEELE, L. (AVLW) 6-4, 2-6, 6-2
 
Doubles competition
1. VENTA, Marija/TYLEK, Anika (LWU) vs. MORKEL, Lize Alet/LOVE, Taylor (AVLW) 4-4, unfinished
2. NURGAZIEVA, Emma/NZEWI, Crystal (LWU) def. SIDOR, Emily/LOUW, Christin (AVLW) 6-3
3. ALMIRON, Yulia/BREUNIG, Jamie (LWU) def. SHIPLEY, Kylee/WATSON-STEELE, L. (AVLW) 6-3
 
Match Notes
UNC Asheville 6-5, 1-3
Longwood 9-5, 1-3
 
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