'Dores win five singles titles on last day of FFC

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Vanderbilt women’s tennis team concluded the Furman Fall Classic on Sunday by winning five of the seven singles flight championships. The Commodores were dominant all weekend, finishing up singles play 18-6.

“This was a great start of the season for us,” said Vandy head coach Geoff Macdonald. “The Furman Fall Classic is a really tough fall tournament against a lot of top 25 teams. So for us to win five of seven singles and two of three doubles was awesome.”

In Flight one play, Sydney Campbell was able to lock up the championship with a 7-5, 6-4 victory of No. 46 Daneika Borthwick of Florida State. Campbell finished the weekend 3-0 in singles play, defeating two top 50 opponents in route to her championship.

Flight three saw Ashleigh Antal sweep through the weekend, defeating Joana Eidukonyte of Clemson, 7-5, 6-4. Antal defeated Kristina Schleich in the first round and SEC counterpart Emily Zabor of Alabama in the second round.

Courtney Colton was victorious in the Flight four championship over Danielle Spielmann of Alabama, 6-0, 3-6, 6-4. Colton went 3-0 in singles play defeating Eve Repic of interstate rival Tennessee in the second round.

No. 57 Lauren Mira breezed through the Flight five singles bracket going 3-0 with the closest match coming in the first round when Mira won 6-4. The lone senior for the Commodores knocked off Ximena Siles of South Carolina for the Flight four championship, 6-3, 6-1.

The fifth and final singles championship on Sunday came in the Flight six bracket where No. 71 Georgina Sellyn defeated Caroline Dailey of South Carolina 6-1, 6-1, to lock up her undefeated weekend.

In the Flight two bracket Marie Casares and Frances Altick were paired up in the third-place match after each falling in the second round. Altick got the better of her teammate defeating Casares, 6-3, 6-4.

In Flight seven play Maggie Leavell was defeated by Amanda Murray of Furman, 6-0, 6-0.

“I’m really pleased with where the team is right now,” said Macdonald. “A lot of what we have been working on in practice really payed dividends this weekend. “We are going to continue practicing the way we have and just keep trying to get better.”

Mira and Colton will all travel to Pacific Palisades, Calif., for the 2013 Riviera/ITA Women’s All-American Championships beginning on Oct. 1. The draws for both the qualifying and main draws will be released later this week.