Alejandra Hernandez's straight-set win at No. 2 singles was the match winner as No. 5 seed University of Mount Olive upset No. 4 seed Barton College 5-4 in the first round of the 2014 Conference Carolinas Women's Tennis Tournament Friday at Sumter, S.C. The win marks the second consecutive year the Trojans have beaten a higher seeded team in the opening round.
Mount Olive (12-7) led 2-1 after doubles play as Francesca Ceppi and Roxanne Chouinard won 8-2 at No. 1 doubles and Samara Paldinho and Paulina Delgado posted an 8-6 victory at No. 3 doubles. Chouinard won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 3 singles and Ceppi won 6-2, 6-4 at No. 1 singles to extend the Trojans' lead to 4-1. Barton then rallied to even the match at 4-4 with wins at the Nos. 4-6 singles flights.
Hernandez pulled the first set 7-6, winning 7-4 in the tie-breaker. She led 5-4 in the second set, then broke serve to seal the win and advance the Trojans to the semifinals.
Mount Olive faces top-seeded Erskine in the semifinal round Saturday at 9 a.m.
Mount Olive 5, Barton 4
Singles
1. Francesca Ceppi (UMO) def. Smiljana Kljajic (BC) 6-2, 6-4
2. Alejandra Hernandez (UMO) def. Ananya Sarkar (BC) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4
3. Roxanne Chouinard (UMO) def. Alicia Lasry (BC) 6-1, 6-0
4. Meredith Pruden (BC) def. Samara Paldinho (UMO) 6-1, 6-3
5. Randi Price (BC) def. Paulina Delgado (UMO) 7-5, 6-3
6. Caroline Fischer (BC) def. Maite Belloso (UMO) 6-0, 7-5
Doubles
1. Francesca Ceppi/Roxanne Chouinard (UMO) def. Smiljana Kljajic/Ananya Sarkar (BC) 8-2
2. Meredith Pruden/Alicia Lasry (BC) def. Alejandra Hernandez/Maite Belloso (UMO) 9-7
3. Samara Paldinho/Paulina Delgado (UMO) def. Randi Price/Caroline Fischer (BC) 8-6