CHATTANOOGA --- The Chattanooga Mocs women's tennis team suffered a 5-2 defeat to Southern Conference foe Samford in its league home opener on a sunny Friday afternoon at the UTC Tennis Center on campus.
 
Following the defeat, Chattanooga falls to 11-5 overall this season and 0-2 inside SoCon play. Samford improves to 9-4 overall and are now 1-0 in the league following its opening win today.
 
Chattanooga jumped out to a 1-0 lead following victories at No. 1 and No. 3 in doubles action. Jessie Young and Caroline Gibbens clinched the team point with a 6-3 win at No. 1 following Lucia Garrigues-Melendez and Rozalie Dohnalova's 6-4 decision at No. 3.
 
The Mocs upped the lead to 2-0 after Dohnalova picked up her eighth-straight singles victory behind a 6-3, 6-0 straight-set decision in the No. 6 hole. Samford earned its first team point of the afternoon with a 6-1, 7-5 win at the top singles matchup.
 
The Bulldogs tied the match at 2-2 following a 7-6, 6-0 decision at the No. 2 hole before the visitors from Birmingham sealed the match with a 6-4, 7-6 win at No. 4 and a hard-fought 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 win in the No. 5 slot. Samford would add the fifth team tally with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 3.
 
Chattanooga returns to action on Sunday, March 26, when the squad travels to Spartanburg, S.C., to take on Wofford. First serve is set for 2 p.m. ET with live stats available on the schedule page on GoMocs.com.
 
Samford 5, Chattanooga 2
3/24/2023 at Chattanooga, Tenn. (UTC Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1. Alexis Lopez (SAMW) def. Jessie Young (UTC) 6-1, 7-5
2. Ally Hayduk (SAMW) def. Coco Bosman (UTC) 7-6, 6-1
3. Samantha Nanere (SAMW) def. Caroline Gibbens (UTC) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
4. Lindsay Song (SAMW) def. Nicole Abel (UTC) 6-4, 7-6
5. Cameron Rogin (SAMW) def. Lucia Melendez (UTC) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
6. Rozalie Dohnalova (UTC) def. Lauren Waddles (SAMW) 6-3, 6-0
 
Doubles competition
1. Jessie Young/Caroline Gibbens (UTC) def. Samantha Nanere/Lindsay Song (SAMW) 6-3
2. Alexis Lopez/Lauren Waddles (SAMW) def. Callie Billman/Nicole Abel (UTC) 7-5
3. Lucia Melendez/Rozalie Dohnalova (UTC) def. Cameron Rogin/Ally Hayduk (SAMW) 6-4
 
Match Notes
Samford 9-4, 1-0 SoCon
Chattanooga 11-5, 0-2 SoCon
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (6,1,2,4,5)

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