SPARTANBURG, SC – After dropping the doubles point, 68th-ranked Francis Marion University recovered to win five of six singles matches – all in straight sets – to claim a 5-2 win over Converse University, Saturday afternoon (April 9) in Conference Carolinas women's tennis play.
 
After having their nine-match winning streak stopped on Friday, the Patriots rebounded less than 24 hours later to improve to 11-4 overall and remain in second place in the conference with a 6-1 mark.  FMU will play its final home match of 2022 on Wednesday at 2 p.m. against Barton College.
 
Junior Gabriel Karatantcheva and sophomore Camryn Cassetori opened the day for Francis Marion with a quick 6-0 victory at No.3 doubles, but Converse rallied to earn the doubles point with hard-fought 6-4 and 7-6 (7-2 tiebreaker) decisions at positions No.1 and 2 respectively.
 
Converse upped its advantage to 2-0 with an early 6-2, 6-2 win at No.5 singles.  However, the Patriots won the remaining five matches, including the clinching victory by freshman Sophia Hansen at No.4 by a 6-1, 6-0 count.
 
Other FMU singles winners were freshman Paige Wise (7-5, 6-0) at No.1, Karatantcheva (7-5, 6-3) at No.2, sophomore Julie Martincova (6-2, 7-5) at No.3, and freshman Kim Venghaus (6-0, 6-0) at No.6.  Wise remained unbeaten in singles play this season at 11-0.
 
 
Women's Tennis Match Results
4/9/2022 at Spartanburg, SC (Converse Tennis Courts)
#68 Francis Marion University 5, Converse University 2
Singles competition
1. Paige Wise (FMUW) def. Maria Belen Vendrell (CONVERSE) 7-5, 6-0
2. G. Karatantcheva (FMUW) def. T. Glogowski-Watson (CONVERSE) 7-5, 6-3
3. Julie Martincova (FMUW) def. Luiza Estrada (CONVERSE) 6-2, 7-5
4. Sophia Hansen (FMUW) def. Brooke Benefield (CONVERSE) 6-1, 6-0
5. Valentina Aparicio (CONVERSE) def. Camryn Cassetori (FMUW) 6-2, 6-2
6. Kim Venghaus (FMUW) def. Kelsy White (CONVERSE) 6-0, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. T. Glogowski-Watson/Luiza Estrada (CONVERSE) def. Paige Wise/Sophia Hansen (FMUW) 6-4
2. Maria Belen Vendrell/Valentina Aparicio (CONVERSE) def. Julie Martincova/Kim Venghaus (FMUW) 7-6 (7-2)
3. G. Karatantcheva/Camryn Cassetori (FMUW) def. Brooke Benefield/Rebekka Braziel (CONVERSE) 6-0
 
Match Notes:  Francis Marion University 11-4, 6-1 CC; National ranking #68
Converse University 7-8, 4-3 CC
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (5,1,3,6,4,2)
T-4:40 A-50