HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Playing at home for the first time this season, the University of Alabama in Huntsville women's tennis team defeated visiting Carson-Newman by an 8-1 score on Friday. The Lady Chargers move to 2-0 on the season with the victory.
 
“The ladies played really hard today, and you could tell from the beginning that they really wanted this one,” Head Coach Daniel Finn said following the win. “With it being the home opener, I think that made it just that much more meaningful.”
 
Despite the lopsided score, the Lady Chargers certainly had to fight to earn the triumph.
 
In each of the doubles matches, the UAH pairings found themselves down a break of serve. The No. 2 duo of Katie Bryant and Alejandra Pacheco quickly recovered and cruised to an 8-2 win, but it was much tougher at the Nos. 1 and 3.
 
Both saw UAH trail through much of the match, but in the end, the Lady Chargers played some clutch points to give the team a 3-0 lead heading into singles. Jessica Groupierre and Lina Carvajal won 8-6 at the first position, while Maria Lawton and Kasi McDonald battled for a hard-fought 9-8 (5) win.
 
The momentum generated by sweeping the doubles points translated into strong singles action.
 
Groupierre was a 6-4, 6-0 winner at the No. 1, and the clinching point came when Lawton won the No. 3 point with a 6-3, 6-3 victory.
 
Winning 6-4, 6-4 at the fourth position was Carvajal, while Pacheco showed great resiliency in climbing back from a first-set loss to win 1-6, 6-3, 1-0 (12-10). McDonald provided the team with the 8-1 final as she won 7-6 (4), 6-2 at the No. 6.
 
The Lady Chargers will return to the courts on Monday when they begin Gulf South Conference play with a visit from West Georgia at 2 p.m.