McGary Wins Four-Straight To Grab Consolation Title

SUMTER, S.C. – Jenna McGary rebounded from a tough 7-5, 6-4 loss in her opener of the A Flight championship to rattle off four-straight wins en route to the consolation championship to highlight action for the UNCP tennis team over the weekend at the USTA/ITA Southeast Regional at the Palmetto Tennis Center in Sumter, S.C.

McGary, a senior, got a win by injury default over Erin Williams of Queens in the first round of the consolation tournament, and then made quick work of both USC Aiken's Margot Simon (6-4, 6-0) and Georgia College's Lisa Setyon (6-4, 6-1) before ousting USC Aiken's Stephanie Humphrey by walkover in the title bout. Newcomer Madeline DiNunzio was the only other Brave to taste victory on the court at the tournament as she defeated Coker's Brittany Yando 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 in her C Flight opener, before falling to Wingate's Kelli Ferguson by 6-3, 6-2 scores.

Freshman Hannah Herlocker had a rough go about it in the A Flight championship as she dropped a 6-3, 6-1 decision to Flagler's Lauren Pfieffer hours before a 6-0, 7-5 loss to Erskine's Abby O'Reilly in the consolation bracket. Likewise, Mia Winterbottom dropped a tough 6-1, 6-1 match with Francis Marion's Mona Blauen in her A Flight opener, before opting out of the consolation tournament.

Christian Minnick fell 7-4 in tiebreakers in both the second and third sets to Mount Olive's Pietra Viana (1-6, 7-6, 7-6), and then fell in an equally hard-fought contest with Georgia College's Tracy Bain (6-2, 6-7, 10-8). Likewise, Sophomore Beverley Vause fell 6-0, 6-0 to Flagler's Chelsea Taylor before, she too, did not make an appearance in the consolation bracket.

In doubles play for the Braves, McGary/Herlocker fell to Coker's Alyssa Blanchard/Stephanie Medley 8-4, while Wingate's Ferguson/Samantha Alschlager ousted DiNunzio/Winterbottom by an 8-1 count. Quintero/Minnick fell 8-0 to Francis Marion's Blauen/Jitka Gavdunova 8-0 in UNCP's final doubles match of the day.

The Braves will wrap up their fall competition season this weekend when they head to Milledgeville, Ga., for the Georgia College-hosted GCSU Women's Fall Championships at the Centennial Center Tennis Facility. Tennis action is set to get underway on Friday morning and resume on Sunday afternoon.