HILTON HEAD, S.C. (Mar. 16, 2017) – In the final match of its spring break trip to Hilton Head, S.C., the Millsaps College women's tennis team picked up another victory, handing Concordia University Wisconsin a 6-3 defeat. The Majors won five singles matches to clinch the matchup, including the clincher by junior Reya Hayek (Greenville, Miss.) in her No. 5 contest.
Concordia (10-5), the regular season champion of the Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference, won the first two doubles matches to take an early 2-0 lead. The Falcons took the Nos. 1 and 3 matches by identical 8-2 scores and looked to sweep the doubles with an early 6-3 advantage in the No. 2 match. Hayek and freshman Natalie Toups (Baton Rouge, La.) battled back for Millsaps (9-3), but were still faced with a 5-7 deficit three games later. The pair then rattled off four straight games to claim the come-from-behind victory and send the Majors into singles play with a point on the board.
Down two, Millsaps moved to tie the match with a pair of wins in the first two singles matches decided. Putting the first point on the board was junior Ashley Ford (Spicewood, Texas) who dropped just one game to Ashley Solberg at No. 1 in a 6-1, 6-0 decision. Freshman Rachel Beck (Metairie, La.) then squared things up a 3-all in her No. 3 matchup, taking a 6-2, 6-2 win for the Majors.
Millsaps made it three straight wins in singles when junior Mary Claiborne-Sharpe (Brownsville, Tenn.) held off her opponent in the No. 4 contest to take a 6-4, 7-6 (3) win. Needing to capture the remaining matches to take the team win, Concordia scored its first in the No. 2 contest where Bailey Kelly won 6-4, 6-4 over sophomore Jordyn Kanak (Austin, Texas). The Majors did not allow the Falcons on the board again, clinching the victory when Hayek took down Emma Sievers at No. 5, 6-1, 6-3. Toups then put the finishing touches on the Majors' fifth consecutive win, claiming a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 6.
After returning home from its trip, Millsaps will open Southern Athletic Association (SAA) play in its next outing. The Majors will travel to Alabama to take on Birmingham-Southern on Friday, March 24 at 2:30 p.m.
