Tennis Takes Pair Over Lenoir-Rhyne

SALISBURY, NC -- The Catawba women blanked Lenoir-Rhyne 9-0 and the men brushed aside the Bears 8-1 Tuesday afternoon at the Johnson Tennis Center. The men improved to 13-5 overall and 2-2 in the South Atlantic Conference while the women boosted their record to 8-9 and 1-3.

Sloan Kessler (Onalaska, WI/La Crosse Aquinas HS) battled through a three set match with Kelsey Love and came out on top 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 at #1 singles. In other singles play, all of the Lady Indians won in straight sets with no one giving up more than four games total.

In doubles action the #1 team of Maggie McKee (Mt. Airy, NC/Mt. Airy HS) and Kessler edged the Bears’ Ivey Tant and Love 8-6.

On the men’s side, Uri Yarkoni (Kelowna, BC, CANADA/Okanagan HS) and Thomas Mitchell (Nanaimo, BC, CANADA/Pendleton School) teamed up at #1 doubles to dispatch Aroon Khatter and Robby Blackburn of Lenoir-Rhyne 8-6.

Corey Eldridge (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township HS) had a strong performance at #6 singles to outlast Jarod Styres 6-0, 5-7, 10-2.

Catawba travels to Carson-Newman for a SAC contest on Saturday, Mar. 23 at 2 p.m.

Singles
1. Sloan Kessler (CATAWBA) def. Kelsey Love (L-R) 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
2. Ally Prior (CATAWBA) def. Ivey Tant (L-R) 6-3, 6-1
3. Maggie McKee (CATAWBA) def. Mariel Mena (L-R) 6-0, 6-2
4. Steffi Cook (CATAWBA) def. Amanda Young (L-R) 6-1, 6-0
5. Candace Hall (CATAWBA) def. Maggie Brown (L-R) 6-1, 6-1
6. Hannah Kovach (CATAWBA) def. Blair McDonough (L-R) 6-0, 6-0

Doubles
1. Sloan Kessler/Maggie McKee (CATAWBA) def. Ivey Tant/Kelsey Love (L-R) 8-6
2. Steffi Cook/Ally Prior (CATAWBA) def. Maggie Brown/Mariel Mena (L-R) 8-2
3. Olivia Myers/Candace Hall (CATAWBA) def. Amanda Young/Blair McDonough (L-R) 8-3