Salem Tennis started out their busy week going 1-1 with Piedmont and Johnson & Wales. The Spirits fell 1-6 to the Lions and won 6-1 over the Wildcats.
Match 1:
Piedmont got off to a solid start in doubles, earning the doubles point after winning at both No. 1 and No. 2. Charlize Green and LaKasia Williams were taken down 2-6 at No. 1, with Daisy Ortiz Mendoza and Puja Lamsal falling 1-6 at No. 2 soon after. A bright spot for Salem was the No. 3 doubles team of Adley Keim and Kimberly Ortiz Mendoza took home a 6-2 win.
Keim played a solid match at No. 1 singles, but ultimately fell 4-6. Green followed soon after, bested by the Lions 2-6, 2-6 at No. 2. K. Ortiz Mendoza played a tight first set at No. 4, taking it the distance to 5-7, but was unable to crack the Lion's code and lost the second set 2-6. D. Ortiz Mendoza also brought her first set at the No. 6 spot to 5-7 and continued to battle in set two, but ultimately was taken down 4-6. Yuridia Santana-Dominguez battled at No. 5, but fell 3-6, 0-6.
A bright spot in singles was freshman LaKasia Williams, defending home court with a strong 6-4, 6-4 win at the No. 3 spot.
Match 2:
Salem started out hot in their match against JWU, taking all three singles matches in quick succession. The No. 3 doubles team of Keim and K. Ortiz Mendoza continued their hot streak, taking home a dominant 6-0 win. Green and Williams at No. 1 kept a tough Wildcats team at bay, winning 6-4 to clinch the doubles point. No. 2 doubles stayed strong to make a comeback after trailing early, prevailing 6-3.
Lamsal made quick work of her opponent at No. 6, securing the first singles win 6-2, 6-2. Green wrapped up at No. 2 soon after, playing a consistent match on the way to a 6-2, 6-1 win. Williams stays undefeated at singles so far this week, taking down her opponent 6-1, 6-1 at the No. 3 spot. K. Ortiz Mendoza played a tight first set at No. 4, but held strong to win 7-5. Once she took the momentum, K. Ortiz Mendoza didn't let up, taking set two 6-0.
The final two matches of the day went to third set tiebreakers. D. Ortiz Mendoza rolled through her first set 6-1, but fell in the second 3-6. The competitive breaker went the distance, but ultimately went the way of the Wildcats with a 10-8 score.
Keim also played a strong first set, prevailing 6-3 at No. 1, but was unable to keep her momentum rolling in set two, falling 4-6. The tiebreaker was tight early on, neither athlete giving up more than one point at once. Keim found her stride after the score hit 6-6, not dropping another point on the way to a 10-6 win.
The Spirits will next be in action on Saturday March 28th at 2pm where they host Meredith.
