HARROGATE, Tenn. -- The Lady Railsplitters rallied from a late deficit to knock off the Young Harris Lions 5-4 in NCAA Division II women's tennis action on Sunday afternoon at the LMU Tennis Complex. Lincoln Memorial improves to 2-1 with the victory, while Young Harris falls to 1-1 in defeat. 

Elena Vasilyeva (Yaroslavl, Russia) and Gemma Goodland (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) were responsible for the Lady Railsplitters' only doubles point of the afternoon, knocking off Laura Sanchez and Maria Puerta 8-2 in the top flight. The next two flights went to the Lions, though. Giovanna Lombardi (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Angelica Solano (Bogota, Colombia) suffered an 8-2 loss at No. 2 doubles, while Priscilla Bulandres (Markham, Ontario, Canada) and Roksolana Prudyvus (Lviv, Ukraine) dropped a 9-7 heartbreaker in the third flight. 

Vasilyeva dominated Eva Castiglione 6-4, 6-1 in the top singles flight and Goodland held down the No. 2 spot with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Aimee Dorly, but Young Harris took straight-set victories at both No. 3 and 4 singles to take a 4-3 lead into the final two singles matches. 

That's where Prudyvus and Solano stood waiting, and that duo proved up to the task of rallying the Lady Railsplitters. Prudyvus dropped just three games in a 6-2, 6-1 win over Puerta in the fifth flight. Solano then pulled out a hard-fought 7-5, 6-0 win over Megan Aligheri in the sixth flight to cap LMU's come-from-behind victory.

The win ended Lincoln Memorial's streak of three consecutive losses to Peach Belt Conference opponents. Young Harris was the first PBC the Lady Railsplitters have faced since the 2010 campaign. 

Next up, the Lady Railsplitters begin South Atlantic Conference play, welcoming the Mars Hill Lions to the LMU Tennis Complex on February 18. That match kicks off with doubles play beginning at 1 p.m.

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Singles competition

1. Elena Vasilyeva (LMU) def. Eva Castiglioni (YHC) 6-4, 6-1

2. Gemma Goodland (LMU) def. Aimee Dorley (YHC) 6-3, 6-4

3. Elin Rundcrantz (YHC) def. Priscilla Bulandres (LMU) 6-2, 6-2

4. Laura Sanchez (YHC) def. Giovanna Lombardi (LMU) 6-1, 6-0

5. Roksolana Prudyvus (LMU) def. Maria Puerta (YHC) 6-2, 6-1

6. Angelica Solano (LMU) def. Megan Aligheri (YHC) 7-5, 6-0

 

Doubles competition

1. Elena Vasilyeva/Gemma Goodland (LMU) def. Laura Sanchez/Maria Puerta (YHC) 8-2

2. Eva Castiglioni/Elin Rundcrantz (YHC) def. Giovanna Lombardi/Angelica Solano (LMU) 8-2

3. Kadie Hudgins/Carolina Hernandez (YHC) def. Priscilla Bulandres/Roksolana Prudyvus (LMU) 9-7

 

Match Notes

Young Harris 1-1

Lincoln Memorial 2-1