Women's Tennis | 2/12/2012 9:19:00 PM

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - The Methodist women's tennis team served double duty on Sunday opening the spring season with two matches, one at Fayetteville State and another hosting Mount Olive. The Monarchs knocked off FSU 7-2 before falling 5-4 to Mount Olive.

Methodist opened with a 3-0 lead at Fayetteville State after doubles. Emiliy Talley and Hillary Petruska won 8-4 at number one and Lauryn Justice and Sara Altman combined to win 8-6 at number two before Lindsie Bentham and Stephanie Hunter won by default at number three.

Justice lost 6-0, 6-1 at number one singles while Petruska won 6-4, 6-3 at number two. Bentham dropped the third singles match 6-0, 6-3 while Altman won 6-0, 6-0 at number four and Hunter won 6-0, 6-0 at number five. The Monarchs earned another default at number six singles to finish with the 7-2 victory.

Back on the Methodist campus, the Monarchs battled long and hard against Mount Olive. The Trojans took the first and second doubles matches to lead 2-1 early. Katherine Meindl and Laura Baker lost 8-2 while Dana Powell and Kelli Shelton lost 8-3. Rachel Purser and Stacey Brooks got the Monarchs on the board with an 8-6 win at number three doubles.

Mount Olive won the first two singles matches defeating Meindl 6-3, 6-1 and Purser 6-1, 6-1 before Methodist won three, four and five to tie the match at four wins apiece. Baker won 7-6, 6-1, Powell won 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 and Shelton took the 7-5, 6-0 victory. Methodist's Stacey Brooks and Mount Olive's Patricia Guedes were left battling it out for the match and eventually had to be moved across town to lighted courts to finish before Guedes narrowly edged Broosk 7-6, 6-4.

The Monarchs move to 1-1 to start the season before they travel to Atlanta, Ga. for three matches next weekend.

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