Due West, SC – Erskine concluded their six-match home stand in grand fashion with a stellar 7-2 victory over archrival Anderson University today in non-conference women’s tennis action at the Erskine College Tennis Complex.  Erskine went 6-0 during the home stand and now stands at 8-2 overall and is currently ranked #7 in the latest ITA Southeast regional poll.  The Trojans of Anderson University fall to 5-4 on the season.

Erskine found themselves trailing early in the match losing both #2 and #3 doubles 8-4.  Fortunately, senior Tessa Rheault (Levis, Quebec, Canada, Ecole Pointe Levy) and freshman Mika Goyette (Brossard, Quebec, Ecole Secondaire De Mortagne) won a close match at #1 doubles over Camie Beaulieu-Brune and Shelby Anderson 8-6 to score a crucial point and keep the Fleet within a point entering the six singles matches.

Fresh off their doubles victory, both Rheault and Goyette swiftly won their singles matches to give the Flying Fleet a 3-2 advantage with four matches remaining.  Goyette quickly defeated Lauren Trumbell at #4 singles 6-3, 6-2 with Rheault finishing her match shortly thereafter by the same score.  The remaining four singles matches all went three sets or required a tie-breaker.  Corin Hallman (Mt. Pleasant, SC, Wando High School) rebounded from a slow start dropping her first set 2-6 to win her next two sets convincingly at 6-1, 6-1 and give the Fleet their fourth point.  Needing only one more point for the match victory, Abby O'Reilly (Acworth, GA, Harrison High School) won both tie-breakers to her first two sets to win her match over Clair Larkin 7-6 (7-0), 7-6 (7-4) and seal the Erskine victory.  Erskine also won the two remaining matches.  Both Victoria Stephens (Cumming, GA, South Forsyth High School) and April Horne (Columbia, SC, Brookland-Cayce High School) came back to win their matches in three sets after dropping their first set.  Erskine won the match 7-2.

Erskine now goes on the road for their next eight matches.  This weekend Erskine plays to conference matches.  On Friday the Flying Fleet travel to Gaffney, South Carolina, to play in-state conference foe Limestone College then it is on to Misenheimer, North Carolina, to tackle the Falcons of Pfeiffer University.  The next Erskine home match is not until after spring break on March 30^th when Clayton State visits Due West.

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