WILSON, N.C.  Methodist's Division III women's tennis team opened its spring schedule on the road Sunday afternoon, challenging Division II and host Barton College much more than the 7-0 defeat signaled.

THE ESSENTIALS
Final score: Barton def. Methodist, 7-0
Records: Methodist 0-1, Barton 1-0
Location: Wilson, N.C.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Ashton Walker at 1-singles and Jill Lawrence at No. 4 both earned opening-set victories over their Bulldogs opponents. Walker took a 7-5 decision from Daria Avram, while Lawrence was opening with a 6-4 win over Ada Vargas.
• Walker nearly pulled off the match victory in the second set, but Avram was able to escape with a 7-6 set win to even the match before finishing off the victory in the third-set super-tiebreak.
• Lawrence, too, pushed hard in the second set only to fall narrowly, 6-4, to Vargas who, like Avram at 1-singles, scratched out the super-tiebreak victory to take the match.
• Allison Himes dropped her opening set, 6-2, to Vanessa Sanoja-Alvarez at No. 3, but bounced back in the second set to pressure the Barton player before Sanoja-Alvarez could escape with a 7-5 set win for the match.
• All three Methodist doubles pairings were a service break away from flipping the Barton sweep. The 3-doubles tandem of Walker and Abby Siracusa even played extra tennis in pushing Claudia Capellades and Isabella Bavallero throughout the Bulldogs' eventual 7-5 win

UP NEXT
Methodist hosts its spring home opener on the Monarch Courts Saturday at 2 p.m. against Fayetteville State.