Despite slow starts to the season, Furman men’s and women’s tennis teams have bounced back and dominated in recent games. Both teams look to extend their winning streaks even further as they continue their seasons.
After dropping the first two games of the season, the women’s team bounced back with a strong 7-0 win against Davidson College on Jan. 20. In the competition, the Paladins won two out of the three doubles matches played, and had victories in all six doubles matches. Sophomore Madison Dillon and senior Danni Vines claimed a 6-3 victory, while juniors MaryAnn Rompf and Georgie Walker won their doubles match 6-1. Later that day, the Paladins defeated USC Upstate 7-0 in another dominant performance, where the team swept in both doubles and singles matches.
Furman fell to University of Notre Dame 2-4 on Jan. 25 at the ITA Kickoff Weekend but bounced back the next day with a 4-3 win against Michigan State University on Jan. 26. The Paladins won two of their three doubles matches, with Rompf and Walker claiming a 6-4 victory, while sophomore Julia Adams and senior Katarina Kozarov, who are ranked 30th on the 2019-2020 Final Fall ITA Division I Women’s Doubles National Ranking, won their match 6-3. In the singles matches, Kozarov, who is ranked 13th in the nation in singles competition, defeated 110th ranked Mary Lewis of Michigan State. Madison Dillon and Maggie Pate also claimed singles victories.
On Saturday, Feb. 1, the Paladins claimed a dominant 6-1 victory over Lipscomb University. Furman won two of their three doubles competitions. Dillon and Adams defeated their opponents 6-4, while Walker and Vines claimed a 6-3 victory. In singles competition, the Paladins won five of their six matches, with Adams, Walker, Dillon, Pate, and sophomore Mary Hunter Hyche claiming victories.
The Paladins had another dominant outing the following day with a 6-1 victory over the University of Louisville on Sunday, Feb. 2. The Paladins won two of their three doubles competitions, with Rompf and Walker claiming a victory, as well as Adams and Kozarov. Furman also claimed five singles wins against Louisville, with Kozarov, Adams, Walker, Dillon and Pate putting up wins.
Kozarov was named Southern Conference Women’s Tennis Player of the Week for the matches of Jan. 21-27. She went 2-0 in singles and doubles competition during that week, claiming the number one spot in each competition and is undefeated in singles competition with a record of 6-0.
The women’s team looks to push their winning streak to four when they play Middle Tennessee on Friday, Feb. 7 at home.
After dropping their first three competitions, the men’s team has powered through to win their past two competitions. The Paladins had a dominant 4-0 win over Gardner-Webb on Jan. 25, winning two out of the three doubles matches. Seniors Jake Munns and Jake Bhangdia, who are ranked 10th in the nation, had a 6-4 victory, while junior Drew Singerman and senior Clarke Wilson won 6-3. In singles competition, Munns, Bhangdia and Singerman claimed victories.
The Paladins continued their strong effort the next day with a 6-1 victory against Winthrop University on Jan. 26. The Paladins swept doubles competition, with junior Ivan Mitric and senior Clarke Wilson winning 6-0 while Singerman and sophomore James Roelofse won 6-1. In singles competition, Mitric, Bhangdia, Singerman, Roelofse and junior Henrik Atlevi all claimed singles victories.
The Paladins look to push their winning streak to three when they go up against North Greenville University on Feb. 8.