Braves Sink Norse, Finish Off Perfect Day In Hilton Head

HILTON HEAD, S.C. – UNCP booked wins in a pair of doubles matches and then toppled Northern Kentucky in four hard-fought singles matches en route to a 6-3 win over the Norse on Tuesday evening at Chaplin Park in Hilton Head, S.C.

UNCP's (5-6) No. 1 doubles tandem of Mia Winterbottom and Shelby Bickel showed glimpses of dominance in an 8-3 win over Northern Kentucky's (2-3) Clemence Binon and Claire Spradlin, while Leigh-Anne McAfee/Hannah Herlocker gave the Lady Braves the doubles advantage with an epic 9-7 triumph over Marta Romeo and Whitney Thomas at No. 2 doubles. Jenny Hand and Jillian Sturgeon would salvage doubles play for the Norse, however, by ousting Madeline DiNunzio and Beverly Vause, 8-6, on court No. 3. 

Winterbottom bested Romeo 6-1, 6-1 on court No. 1 to start singles competition off on the right foot for the Black & Gold, while Herlocker followed suit a short time later when she finished off a 6-4, 6-3 win over Binon at No. 3 singles. Despite dropping a 6-0 second set, McAfee would clinch the win for the Lady Braves on court No. 2 with a 6-4, 0-6, 10-8 victory against Spradlin.

Thomas would break up the monotony of the match by edging DiNunzio in another three-set match at No. 5 singles – 6-3, 4-6, 10-4 – but UNCP would answer back again, this time with a three-set win by Bickel over Hand – 6-7 (7-2), 6-1, 10-8. Sturgeon gave the Norse the final victory of the evening, however, by defeating Espitia 6-7 (7-4), 6-4, 7-2 on court No. 6.

The Lady Braves will return to action on Thursday to take on Ashland (13-5) and Seton Hill (5-7). Match times are set for 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., respectively.