The Samford women’s tennis team lost 5-2 to Furman in a Southern Conference match on Mar. 29 at Mickel Tennis Center in Greenville, South Carolina. The defeat brings the Bulldogs’ overall record to 10-8 and their conference record to 2-2.
This match was important for both teams as it affected their standings within the Southern Conference. The doubles point proved decisive, with Furman winning two out of three matches to take an early lead. Lillie Murphy and Elle Warren defeated Lea Erenda and Sara Erenda at No. 1 doubles, while Eleni Liakonis and Hailey Troup secured a win for Samford at No. 2 doubles. However, Cathy Cardona-Carballosa and Laila Fishman lost a close tiebreaker at No. 3 doubles, giving Furman the first point.
In singles play, Furman won the top three positions as Sara Erenda fell to Warren, Murphy beat Lea Erenda decisively, and Hitchcock overcame Liakonis in straight sets. Samford’s points came from Fishman’s win over Ceroni at No. 4 singles and Troup’s victory against Doherty after a final-set tiebreak at No. 6 singles.
With this result, Samford’s record on the road stands at three wins and six losses for the season; they have not yet won any matches decided by three or more points.
Looking ahead, Samford will travel to Johnson City for another conference matchup against East Tennessee State University on Friday, April 3.