LAGRANGE, Ga. - The top seeded NC Wesleyan Women's tennis team rolled to another shutout win over 3rd seed Averett University 5-0 on Saturday afternoon in the USA South Conference Semifinals.
The women improve to 14-4 on the season and will now face West Division #1 seed Piedmont College (Ga.) (18-5) on Sunday at 2 PM at the McCluskey Tennis Center in LaGrange.
The freshmen duo of Fariza Abdulloeva and Milena Amedieva got things started for the Bishops at #1 doubles with an 8-6 win over Averett's #1 Heidi Sarkinnen and Eleanor Crane. The #2 doubles of senior Stephany Barbera and sophomore Julianna Johnson then cruised to an 8-2 win while the third doubles team of junior Nicole Halabi and sophomore Giulia Zanetti shut out Averett (13-6) 8-0 to spot the Bishops with a 3-0 lead.
The upper-classmen duo of Halabi and Barbera then clinched the finals berth for the Lady Bishops with their identical 6-0, 6-0 wins at #5 and #6 singles.
Amedieva, Zanetti, and Johnson also led with their first set wins before the match was clinched. The marquee matchup between 9th ranked Abdulloeva and Sarkkinen, the Player of the Year in the conference, never got much traction as the Rookie of the Year Abdulloeva led just 4-3 in the first set.