LINDSBORG, Kan. -- The John Brown University women's tennis team built an early lead and rallied from a 2-1 deficit to earn a 4-3 victory on Friday afternoon (March 7) at the Dr. Emory Lindquist Tennis Center.
Senior Ellie Swan clinched the match at the fourth singles flight to secure JBU's fifth win of the season.
"Another huge win for our team," admitted head coach Mike Campbell. "We took the doubles point, which is always a key factor for us. In singles, Erin, Ellie and Anna delivered strong performances for the team. We're looking forward to the rest of the weekend here in Kansas, but this was a great start."
John Brown (5-3) started strong by securing the doubles point with wins at the top two flights. Freshmen Ashley Miller and Arianny Sira controlled the opening slot, posting a 6-2 win over Ana Sofia Castillo Paz and Maria Mistereck. Meanwhile, seniors Erin Kuykendall and Swan sealed the doubles point with a 7-5 victory at the second position over Kyla Metro and Karee Adam, improving to 4-1 on the season as a tandem. The Swedes avoided the sweep at No. 3, where sophomores Ana Moreno and Annelise Dunn fell in a tiebreak, 7-6 (7-3), to Helen Harbit and Makenna Russom.
The Golden Eagles extended its lead to 2-0 when Kuykendall struck first in singles play, defeating Mistereck in a hard-fought 6-3, 7-5 straight-sets victory at the second flight.
Bethany (0-2) then responded by winning the next two matches, tying the score at 2-2. Sira battled through a first-set tiebreak but fell in three sets at the third spot, dropping a 6-7 (9-11), 6-2, 10-3 decision to Metro. Miller followed with another tiebreak-heavy match at the top slot but came up short against Castillo Paz, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1.
Needing a response, JBU reclaimed the lead at 3-2 when Moreno dominated at the fifth position, rolling past Harbit 6-1, 6-1, leading John Brown with a 5-2 singles record this season. Swan then delivered the clinching point at the fourth flight, controlling her matchup against Adam in a 6-1, 6-2 victory to seal the Golden Eagles' win.
In the final match of the day, Dunn forced a third set at the sixth spot but fell just short, dropping a 7-5, 4-6, 10-5 decision to Russom.
John Brown continues its return to Kansas with a pair of contests on Saturday (March 8) afternoon, facing Tabor (Kan.) in Hillsboro at 9 a.m. before taking on Friends (Kan.) at the Riverside Tennis Center in Wichita.
FOLLOW THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Don't miss a minute of the latest action surrounding JBU Athletics by following the Golden Eagles on Twitter (@JBUathletics), Instagram (@JBUathletics) and Facebook (/JBUathletics). Catch every Golden Eagle home game and select away games on the SAC Sports Network, available online or for download on your favorite streaming device.
