Furman Women’s Tennis has caught fire. In an exciting and successful bout, the Lady Paladins have secured three marquee wins. On Saturday, Feb. 6, Furman proved victorious over undefeated Alabama, finishing with a score of 4-3. Katarina Kozarov, who is ranked 15th nationally in singles, started the Paladins off strong at flight one singles, giving Furman a 2-0 lead. Julia Adams ’22 broke the 3-3 tie by winning a third-set tie breaker at flight two singles, leading to the eventual victory. This triumph was huge for the team. The Paladins notched their first win over a SEC rival since 2008. When asked about this success, Georgie Walker ’21 reflected on how the team has a “really strong schedule this spring,” as they were not able to have a fall season, and believes the team has gained motivation from coming close to being victorious over strong competition earlier in the season.  

Walker shared that following the Alabama win, the team had a long trip back in the snow, not arriving at Furman until midnight. Despite the circumstances, Walker explains, “We had to come out with a lot of energy, trust in the work we’ve been putting in, and be tough during the close moments.” Walker’s words describe exactly what the team did, as they upset Wake Forest with a final score of 5-2. Kozarov and Adams won flight one doubles, with Madison Dillon ’22 and MaryAnn Rompf ’21 securing flight three, allowing the Paladins to win two of the three doubles to score the initial point. The Paladins won four of the six singles, adding to their eventual triumph over Wake Forest. Walker recounted on how it was awesome to “[see their] hard work pay off,” and it continued to pay off as the Paladins defeated #18 USC with a score of 5-2 this past Wednesday, Feb. 10.  

At USC, the Gamecocks had a strong start, beating Kozarov and Adams at flight one doubles, though Dillon and Rompf came out on top in flight two. In flight three, Ellie Schoppe ‘24 and IIayda Bakyan ‘24 were set by the Gamecocks, giving USC the doubles point for the match. However, the Paladins came back and won five out of the six singles matches, leading to their eventual victory. This triumph marks their third win in a row, causing the Paladins to be 4-4 overall. Their next match is this Saturday, Feb. 13 against Virgina Tech, with another match the following day on Sunday, Feb. 14 against Marshall.