FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood took Big South No. 2 Presbyterian to the wire, but a straight-set win at No. 6 singles by Katie Thompson clinched a 4-3 win for the Blue Hose Saturday at Lancer Courts.
 
The win preserved a seven-match win streak for Presbyterian (15-5, 7-1 Big South), which has now defeated six consecutive Big South opponents to surge to second place in the conference standings behind only unbeaten Winthrop. Thompson's 6-0, 6-0 clincher over Longwood redshirt freshman Crystal Nzewi was her eighth at No. 6 this season, the second most in that spot among all Big South players.
 
The Blue Hose overcame Longwood (11-7, 1-5 Big South) victories at Nos. 2, 3 and 5, as junior Jamie Breunig, sophomore Yulia Almiron and freshman Anika Tylek all defeated their singles counterparts in straight sets. Breunig defeated Tracy Johnson 6-3, 6-3, Almiron toppled Samantha Calais 6-3, 6-2, and Tylek edged out Jessica Leeman 7-6, 7-6.
 
However, Presbyterian countered with a win at the top, as Sydney Patton took down Longwood ace Marija Venta, 7-5, 6-1, and another win at No. 4 as Beth Taylor dealt freshman Emma Nurgazieva only her third defeat of the spring, 6-2, 6-2, and her first at that No. 4 position.
 
Those two singles wins evened the score after Presbyterian won the doubles point with victories at No. 2 and 3 to stake a 1-0 lead. Calais' and Leeman's 7-5 win over Almiron and Breunig at No. 2 was the difference, offsetting Nurgazieva and Nzewi's 6-5 lead at No. 1 and pairing with Taylor and Thompson's 6-3 win at No. 3 to give Presbyterian an early 1-0 lead.
 
Highlighted by Breunig's career-high 14th win of the year and Almiron's career-high 11th, Longwood battled back and closed the gap, knotting the score on Tylek's 7-6, 7-6 barnburner over Leeman. However, Thompson made quick work of the clincher to deal Longwood its second 4-3 loss of in Big South play.
 
Longwood now enters its final stretch of the season, hosting Hampton this Wednesday, April 10, in the home finale, before wrapping up the regular season with a two-match road trip to USC Upstate on April 12 and Gardner-Webb on April 13. The Big South Championship tournament will then begin on Tuesday, April 16, at Radford.
 
Presbyterian 4, Longwood 3
4/6/2019 at Farmville, Va. (Lancer Courts)
 
Singles competition
1. PATTON, Sydney (PC) def. VENTA, Marija (LWU) 7-5, 6-1
2. BREUNIG, Jamie (LWU) def. JOHNSON, Tracy (PC) 6-3, 6-3
3. ALMIRON, Yulia (LWU) def. CALAIS, Samantha (PC) 6-3, 6-2
4. TAYLOR, Beth (PC) def. NURGAZIEVA, Emma (LWU) 6-2, 6-2
5. TYLEK, Anika (LWU) def. LEEMAN, Jessica (PC) 7-6, 7-6
6. THOMPSON, Katie (PC) def. NZEWI, Crystal (LWU) 6-0, 6-0
 
Doubles competition
1. NURGAZIEVA, Emma/NZEWI, Crystal (LWU) def. PATTON, Sydney/JOHNSON, Tracy (PC) 6-5
2. CALAIS, Samantha/LEEMAN, Jessica (PC) def. ALMIRON, Yulia/BREUNIG, Jamie (LWU) 7-5
3. TAYLOR, Beth/THOMPSON, Katie (PC) def. TYLEK, Anika/VENTA, Marija (LWU) 6-3
 
Match Notes
Presbyterian 15-5, 7-1
Longwood 11-7, 1-5

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