GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Guilford College women's tennis team (2-1, 0-0 ODAC) returned to the McMichael Courts on Wednesday afternoon for a non-conference matchup against the Battling Bishops of North Carolina Wesleyan University (1-0, 0-0 USA South). Despite a strong performance at the top of the lineup, the Quakers fell 6-1 in a hard-fought home contest.
Guilford jumpstarted the afternoon with an impressive showing at No. 1 doubles. The pairing of
Carolina Dirk (Port Aransas, TX) and
Erika Mendez (Asheville, N.C.) powered their way to a 6-2 victory over Renata Torres and Bethan Fothergill. The Battling Bishops managed to take the remaining two doubles flights to secure the inaugural point of the match.
Dirk carried that momentum into singles competition at the top flight; she claimed the opening set 6-3 before her opponent, Andrea Elaez Miranda, was forced to retire, earning Guilford's lone point of the afternoon. At the No. 2 spot,
Ashley Belnap (Winston-Salem, N.C.) displayed immense resilience in the day's longest battle. After a narrow 6-7 opening set, Belnap battled back to take the second 6-4, eventually falling in a competitive 10-4 third-set tiebreaker.
Chandler Sizemore (Sandy Ridge, N.C.),
McKenna Merritt (Dobson, N.C.),
Amy Soto Salgado (Conover, N.C.), and
Brooke Tsuei (Summerfield, N.C.) all contributed determined efforts across the singles lineup against a deep N.C. Wesleyan squad.
The Quakers will look to bounce back on Saturday, February 28, as they travel to Fayetteville, N.C., to face the Scots of Covenant College. The first serve is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
#GoQuakes
