Women's Tennis Opens With Thrilling Win Over Pfeiffer

SALISBURY, NC -- Catawba rallied for a 5-4 win over visiting Pfeiffer in women’s tennis action on Thursday afternoon at the Johnson Tennis Center.  Freshman Liz Renteria (Mirmar, FL/Archbishop McCarthy HS) won a third-set tie-breaker to lift the Catawba Indians in their opening match of the season.

Catawba had lost two of three doubles with Rachel Rudisill (Gastonia, NC/Highland Tech HS) and Andrea Bell (Franklin, NC/Franklin HS) combining at the #3 slot to win the point for the Lady Indians.  Catawba fought back to even the match with singles wins at the #4 to #6 spots.  Ally Prior (Raliegh, NC/Wakefield HS) rallied from a set down at #4, while Lauren Sledd (Roanoke, VA/Cave Spring HS) and Olivia Myers (Lexington, NC/W. Davidson HS) won without losing a game at #5 and #6.

Renteria won her opening set then fell in the second.  Renteria and Pfeiffer’s Taylor Lindsay battled through a 20-point tie-breaker that the freshman would win after facing a match-point against at 8-7. 

WOMEN’S MATCH RESULTS
CATAWBA 5, PFEIFFER 4
Singles
#1 Liz Renteria (C) d. Taylor Lindsay  6-1, 5-7, 7-6 (11-9)
#2 Valeria Mendoza (P) d. Maggie McKee   6-1, 6-0
#3 Hannah Watson (P) d. Sloan Kessler  6-3, 6-4
#4 Ally Prior (C) d. Chelsi Haefele  3-6, 6-0, 6-1
#5 Lauren Sledd (C) d. Melinda Athay  6-0, 6-0
#6 Olivia Myers (C) d. Macy Southern 6-0, 6-0

Doubles
#1 Lindsay/Mendoza (P) d. Renteria/Kessler  9-7
#2 Watson/Haefele (P) d. Prior/Sledd  8-5
#3 Andrea Bell/Rachel Rudilsill (C) d. Athay/Southern 8-0
RECORDS: Catawba 1-0; Pfeiffer 0-1

MATCH PHOTOS