FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.  A Saturday home doubleheader at the Clayton Tennis Center concluded with a resounding 8-1 USA South Athletic Conference win over visiting Pfeiffer University, allowing the Methodist women's tennis team to earn a split on the day after dropping an earlier 7-2 decision to Southern Virginia University.

JUST THE FACTS
Final scores: Southern Virginia def. Methodist, 7-2; Methodist def. Pfeiffer, 8-1
Records: Methodist 5-11 (2-0 USA South), Pfeiffer 1-3 (0-1), Southern Virginia 3-4
Location: Clayton Tennis Center; Fayetteville, N.C.

MATCH POINTS

• The afternoon win over Pfeiffer began with a sweep of the doubles action as Toni Laney and Taylor Jackson at No. 1, Abby Caddick and Sydni Lewis at No. 2, and Jill Lawrence and Casey Carrol at No. 3 all won their matches handily for a quick 3-0 Monarch lead.
• Lawrence rolled to a straight-set shutout at 2-singles to add the fourth point for Methodist, and Valeria Matute picked up the clinching point at No. 4 with a 1 and 0 win.
• Caddick, at No. 1, and Carroll, at No. 6, added second points in the match with straight set wins in their respective bouts.
• At 3-singles, Megan Kidd routed her opponent 1 and 1 for another point.
• The visiting Falcons picked up their lone point with a three-set win at No. 5.
• Unlike the afternoon match, the Monarchs found themselves trailing, 2-1, after doubles play as Jackson and Kamdyn Balko teamed at No. 2 for the lone Methodist point.
• The visiting Knights -- soon-to-be members of the USA South, beginning in the 2021-22 academic year -- picked up the pace in singles, earning five of six points.
• Methodist's Olivia Ward fought off a first-set loss at 5-singles to rally with a 6-1 second-set win, and then a 10-3 super-tiebreak win in the deciding third set.

UP NEXT

• The Monarchs jump hot and heavy into conference play with their next four matches, beginning with a Wednesday afternoon bout at Meredith College.
• Pfeiffer's next match is also against Meredith, on Thursday afternoon.