Braves Shut Out By No. 23 Flagler

PEMBROKE – Flagler's Deon Miller rallied back from an opening set loss at No. 5 singles with Janna Oxendine to post wins in the final two sets and help the 23rd-ranked Saints complete an 8-0 sweep of UNCP on Sunday morning in women's collegiate tennis action at the UNCP Varsity Tennis Courts.

The setback marked just the second loss in the last seven outings for UNCP (9-10, 2-6 PBC) who was battling its fifth nationally ranked foe of the season. The triumph helped snap a short two-match losing streak for Flagler (11-4, 6-3).

Jennifer Saviano and Veronica Figueroa gave Flagler its first team point of the day with an 8-0 shutout of Meredith Pierson and Mia Winterbottom at No. 2 doubles, but the Saints eventually completed a sweep of doubles play with wins on court Nos. 1 and 3 as well. Lauren Pfeiffer and Chelsi de Cuba topped Jenna McGary and Oxendine, 8-5, at No. 1 doubles, while Chelsea Taylor and Rachel Gould posted an 8-2 decision over Maricel Quintero-Prieto and Christian Minnick at No. 3 doubles.

Figueroa did not yield a game in ousting Pierson, 6-0 and 6-0, at No. 3 singles, while Pfeiffer turned in a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Winterbottom on court No. 2 to clinch the team victory for the Saints. Saviano followed a short time later with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Quintero-Prieto at No. 4 singles, before McGary had her three-match singles winning streak stopped with 6-2, 6-1 setback to de Cuba on court No. 1.

Oxendine posted an 8-6 win in a tiebreaker to win her opening set at No. 5 singles with Miller, but the Flagler junior rallied to post a 6-2 win in the second set and a 10-8 third set win.

UNCP will continue a stretch of five-straight contests against league competition on Thursday when it travels to Aiken, S.C., to battle USC Aiken (6-9, 2-7) at the USCA Tennis Complex. Tennis action is set to get underway at 2 p.m.