BREVARD, N.C. -- The Lady Railsplitter tennis team was literally one point away from advancing to the semifinals of the South Atlantic Conference tournament before Newberry battled back to steal the 5-4 victory Thursday morning at the McCoy Tennis Complex.

Newberry took two of the three doubles flights to take the early lead. LMU's Elena Vasilyeva (Yaroslavl, Russia) and Priscilla Bulandres (Markham, Ontario) fell at No. 1 to NC's Vanessa ORtiz and Amanda Carrillo 8-5. Roksolana Prudyvus (Lviv, Ukraine) and Marta Pinol (Tivenys, Spain) evened the match up at 1-1 as the All-SAC doubles duo defeated Kelly McManus and Paula Avallan 8-6 at NO. 3. Newberry then went ahead again as Elizabeth Williamson and Tara Lamers defeated LMU's Javiera Gonzalez (Santiago, Chile) and Rosa Smith (Gate City, Va.) 8-3 in the No. 2 doubles flight.

In singles play, Carillo blanked Gonzalez 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 while All-SAC second team member Pinol cut the Newberry lead to 3-2 with her 6-2, 6-2 drubbing of Ortiz at No. 2.  Lamers would put the Wolves up 4-2 with her 6-3, 6-1 win over Bulandres at No. 4 before the Lady Railsplitters would battle back to tie the match at 4-4. LMU would tie the match after Solano cruised by Rebeca Martinez 6-4, 6-2 at No. 6 and Prudyvus would grind out the 7-6, 6-1 win over NC's Avellan at No. 5.

The match then came down to the battle between two All-SAC first team performers in Vasilyeva, who is LMU's lone senior, and 25th ranked Williams at No. 1. Vasilyeva took the first set 7-6 and was up in set two 5-2 before Williamson battled back to force a deciding third set with her 7-5 win. In the third set it was all Williamson as she won the rubber set 6-1 and gave Newberry the 5-4 match victory.

With the loss, LMU ends their season with a 13-8 record. 

Newberry 5, Lincoln Memorial 4
Singles competition
1. #25 Elizabeth Williamson (NBY) def. Elena Vasilyeva (LMU) 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 6-1
2. Marta Pinol (LMU) def. Vanessa Ortiz (NBY) 6-2, 6-2
3. Amanda Carrillo (NBY) def. Javiera Gonzalez (LMU) 6-0, 6-0
4. Tara Lamers (NBY) def. Priscilla Bulandres (LMU) 6-3, 6-1
5. Roksolana Prudyvus (LMU) def. Paula Avellan (NBY) 7-6 (8-6), 6-1
6. Angelica Solano (LMU) def. Rebeca Martinez (NBY) 6-4, 6-2

Doubles competition
1. Vanessa Ortiz/Amanda Carrillo (NBY) def. Elena Vasilyeva/Priscilla Bulandres (LMU) 8-5
2. Elizabeth Williamson/Tara Lamers (NBY) def. Javiera Gonzalez/Rosa Smith (LMU) 8-3
3. Roksolana Prudyvus/Marta Pinol (LMU) def. Kelly McManus/Paula Avellan (NBY) 8-6

Match Notes
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (3,2,4,6,5,1)
2016 South Atlantic Conference Women's Tennis Championship Quarterfinal
Official: Jim Williams T-4:43 A-83