Lady Eagles Claim First-ever SAC Tournament Title
April 25, 2009
ROCK HILL, S.C. - The Carson-Newman women's tennis team made history Saturday on a hot afternoon at the Rock Hill Tennis Center.
The second-seeded Lady Eagles took a commanding lead over No. 4 seed Brevard in the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament finals and never looked back, capturing a 5-2 victory and the first-ever conference tournament championship in school history.
"This is a very, very special day for the program and this group of players," said Carson-Newman head coach Jean Love. "We just battled and battled really hard. It was just a phenomenal effort and I'm proud of these girls."
Carson-Newman took an early 2-1 lead after doubles play. Amanda Bartlett (Powder Springs, Ga.) and Taryn Cappadona defeated Brevard's Lindsay Shaeffer and Kim Dixon 8-4 in the No. 1 match, while Emily Sorah (Bristol, Tenn.) and Kylie Elliott (Maryville, Tenn.) cruised to an 8-1 victory at No. 3.
The Lady Eagles increased the margin to 4-1 early in the singles portion of the matchup after picking up quick wins in the No. 4 and No. 6 showdowns. Cassie Moulton (Maryville, Tenn.) defeated Sara Douglas 6-0, 6-4, while Cappadonna topped Kim Dixon 6-2, 7-5.
Brevard got a point when Shaeffer edged Bartlett in the No. 1 singles match (6-4, 6-4), but Elizabeth Sneed (Kingsport, Tenn.) got past Lindsay Hostetter 6-3, 6-4 to clinch the victory for Carson-Newman.
At the conclusion of the event, Cappadonna was named the 2009 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player. The sophomore for Kennessaw, Georgia didn't lose a single match throughout the tournament.
"Taryn came up big," Love said. "She closed the match out for us against Wingate (in the semifinals), and her points today turned out to be big. Her singles victory gave us a little momentum today. She had a really solid tournament."
The Lady Eagles improved to 13-2 overall and receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament.
"The last couple of years with this group has been really special because they've been a very close-knit group," said Love. "They have a lot of heart. Our two seniors, Cassie Moulton and Emily Sorah, they have been phenomenal. I just couldn't ask for a better team."
Apr 25, 2009 at Rock Hill, S.C.
#2 Carson-Newman 5, #4 Brevard 2
Singles
1. Lindsay Shaeffer (BC) def. Amanda Bartlett (C-N) 6-4, 6-4
2. Elizabeth Sneed (C-N) def. Lindsay Hostetter (BC) 6-3, 6-4
3. Kayley Duval (BC) vs. Kylie Elliott (C-N) no result
4. Taryn Cappadona (C-N) def. Kim Dixon (BC) 6-2, 7-5
5. Jennifer Nyman (BC) vs. Emily Sorah (C-N) no result
6. Cassie Moulton (C-N) def. Sara Douglas (BC) 6-0, 6-4
Doubles
1. Amanda Bartlett/Taryn Cappadona (C-N) def. Lindsay Shaeffer/Kim Dixon (BC) 8-4
2. Lindsay Hostetter/Kayley Duval (BC) def. Elizabeth Sneed/Cassie Moulton (C-N) 8-2
3. Emily Sorah/Kylie Elliott (C-N) def. Merek Slagle/Sara Douglas (BC) 8-1
