BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Mar. 24, 2017) – In a match-up of regionally ranked teams, Millsaps College opened Southern Athletic Association (SAA) women's tennis play today against Birmingham-Southern College, with the No. 15 Majors knocking off No. 10 ranked Panthers, 5-4. Freshman Maggie Dabadie (Baton Rouge, La.) clinched it for Millsaps with a three-set win in her No. 2 singles match.
 
Birmingham-Southern (3-5, 0-1 SAA) took the first point of the day with an 8-2 win at No. 2 doubles; but the other two doubles matches would prove to be much closer, with the two squads splitting those two contests. Dabadie had a hand in the doubles win for Millsaps (10-3, 1-0 SAA) as she partnered with junior Ashley Ford (Austin, Texas) to edge Carlee Petro and Emily Whitlock at No. 1, 8-6. In another close one at No. 3, the Majors' duo of junior Reya Hayek (Greenville, Miss.) and freshman Natalie Toups (Baton Rouge, La.) came up just short of putting another point on the board in a 9-7 setback.
 
Needing four wins in singles, Millsaps picked up three with victories in the bottom three flights, all of which came in straight sets. At No. 4 it was junior Mary Claiborne-Sharpe (Brownsville, Tenn.) scoring a 6-2, 6-1 win, with Hayek coming through with a 6-0, 6-2 triumph at No. 5 and sophomore Tori Barbier (Metairie, La.) taking a 7-5, 6-4 decision at No. 6.
 
Birmingham-Southern picked up a straight sets win at No. 3, with the final two contests of the day at Nos. 1 and 2 going to three sets. Dabadie edged Isabella Wisemer, 7-6 (2) in the first set before seeing her opponent bounce back in the second to square the match. Dabadie then took control in the final set to take the match and put the finishing touches on the team win with her 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-2 decision. At No. 1 Ford won her first set over Petro, but could not get another in a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 win for the Panthers.
 
Millsaps will play its final non-conference match of the season on Sunday. The Majors will return home to take on the University of the Ozarks on the Coach Montgomery Courts starting at 11:30 a.m.