Furman men’s and
women’s tennis teams had
strong finishes to their
2019 fall season, with the
women’s team concluding
their season at the Seminole
All-Conference Showdown,
while the men ended their fall
season with the Furman Duals
competition.
After a strong performance at the Furman Duals in early November, the women’s team looked to carry that success into the Seminole All-Conference Showdown the week after. There, sophomore Mary Hunter Hyche claimed three singles victories, while freshman Maggie Pate won two singles matches and senior Danni Vines, sophomore Madison Dillon, junior Mary Rompf and junior Georgie Walker all claimed one singles victory each.
Furman also won five doubles matches at the Seminole All-Conference Showdown. Mary Rompf and Georgie Walker won two doubles matches as a pair, along with Madison Dillon and Danni Vines, who also won two doubles matches. Mary Hunter Hyche and Maggie Pate also teamed up to claim a doubles victory.
While the women’s team was competing at the Seminole All-Conference Showdown, senior Katarina Kozarov became the first Paladin to compete in the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships. There, she defeated Rebeka Mertena of Tennessee before losing to Bunyawi Thamchaiwat of Oklahoma State.
Kozarov is ranked 13th in the 2019 Oracle Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division I National Fall Rankings, while the doubles team of Madison Dillon and sophomore Julia Adams are ranked 23rd and the doubles team of Kozarov and Adams are ranked 30th.
The women’s team looks
to prepare for the beginning of
the 2020 spring season, which
begins on Jan. 15 against N.C.
State. The Paladins have made
it to the NCAA Championships
for the past three years, but
have yet to make it past the
first round, with the Paladins
falling short to Tennessee
last May. The Paladins look
to change this recent pattern
at the NCAA Championships
as the team heads into the
upcoming 2020 spring season.
The men’s team was also victorious at Furman Duals in late October, defeating Appalachian State, UNC Greensboro, and Winthrop. Against Appalachian State, Furman won three out of four doubles competitions and five singles victories. Against UNCG, the Paladins swept the doubles matches and claimed victories in seven of the eight singles matches, while also sweeping the doubles and singles matches against Winthrop.
The doubles team of senior Jake Munns and Jake Bhangdia is ranked 10th nationally in the 2019 Oracle ITA Division I National Fall Rankings. The men’s team begins the 2020 spring season on Jan. 11 against Florida.