CONWAY, Ark. -- John Brown University secured a pivotal doubles point and dominated the bottom half of the singles lineup to edge Hendrix (Ark.) 4-3 on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 8) at the Hatcher Tennis Center.
John Brown (3-1) took an early lead after claiming the doubles point in dramatic fashion. Sophomore Ana Moreno and sophomore Annelise Dunn delivered a convincing 6-2 victory at the third slot, but Hendrix responded with a 6-4 win at the top position. That left the deciding match in the hands of seniors Erin Kuykendall and Ellie Swan, who battled through a tense tiebreak to outlast Josie Leffingwell and Kate Adcox 7-6 (8-6), sealing the 1-0 advantage for the Golden Eagles.
In singles play, Hendrix (1-1) struck first, as Caroline Lasley edged freshman Ashley Miller in a tight first set before Miller was forced to retire. Leffingwell followed at the third flight, defeating Kuykendall 6-0, 4-6, 6-3, while Emma Self extended the Warriors' lead with a three-set win over freshman Arianny Sira at the second slot.
Down 3-1, John Brown responded by sweeping the bottom three flights. Moreno dominated at the fourth spot, dropping just one game in a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Ayden Huckelbury. At No. 6, Dunn followed with a commanding 6-2, 6-0 performance, leveling the match at 3-3. That left the deciding point in the hands of Swan, who controlled key moments of her match to secure a 6-4, 6-3 win over Adcox, clinching the Golden Eagles' sweep of the weekend in Conway.
John Brown now begins a three-match road trip, beginning on Feb. 15 when the Golden Eagles travel to Bartlesville, Okla. to face Oklahoma Wesleyan for the second time this season. OKWU handed JBU its lone loss of the season, 6-1, back on Oct. 29, 2024.
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