Highlights

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Top-seeded Winthrop women's tennis (18-5, 8-0 Big South Conference) continued its pursuit of a 20^th Big South Championship title with a 4-0 sweep of No. 5 Presbyterian College (12-9, 4-4 Big South Conference) Friday morning. With the victory, the Eagles advance to the championship final on Saturday, the 22^nd championship match appearance in program history.

HOW IT HAPPENED 
-Winthrop won the doubles point for the 20th time out of their 23 matches this season, with 6-1 and 6-2 victories on courts three and one, respectively.
 
-No. 32 Lauren Proctor led the Eagles in singles play with a 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 1, improving on her regular season performance against PC's Brittany Nuttall, a 6-3, 6-0 victory.

-For the second-straight match, Ellie Burns recorded an early point for the Eagles with a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 6.  
 
-Megan Kauffman delivered the clinching point at No. 3 with her 6-1, 6-2 win.
 
-In the unfinished courts, Alisa Soloveva and Tayla Van Eck were each on their way to turning around second sets after dropping their first sets, and Aida Kelic had just finished a first set tiebreaker, won by PC.

NOTABLES
- No. 32 Lauren Proctor (19-2) and Alisa Soloveva (18-3) own the best two records in the Big South Conference. Proctor is undefeated in conference play and has won all but one of her league matches in straight-sets, while Soloveva has also won each of her conference matches.

-No. 29 doubles duo Lauren Proctor and Megan Kauffman remained undefeated and improved to 21-0 on the season with their victory on court one.

-Ellie Burns has won eight of her last nine matches, all but one in straight sets.

UP NEXT - CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Winthrop advances to the championship final match at 10 a.m. Saturday morning at Rock Hill Tennis Center, taking on No. 2 Liberty. The Flames defeated No. 3 Campbell in the afternoon semifinal 4-0. Admission to the match at Rock Hill Tennis Center is free.

FULL RESULTS  

Singles
1. PROCTOR, Lauren (WIN) def. Brittany Nuttall (PC) 6-1, 6-0
2. SOLOVEVA, Alisa (WIN) vs. Tracy Johnson (PC) 3-6, 4-1, unfinished
3. KAUFFMAN, Megan (WIN) def. Samantha Calais (PC) 6-1, 6-2
4. VAN ECK, Tayla (WIN) vs. Beth Taylor (PC) 4-6, 3-3, unfinished
5. KELIC, Aida (WIN) vs. Caroline Ferrari (PC) 6-7 (5-7), unfinished
6. BURNS, Ellie (WIN) def. Katie Thompson (PC) 6-1, 6-2

Doubles
1. PROCTOR, Lauren/KAUFFMAN, Megan (WIN) def. Demi Henschel/Samantha Calais (PC) 6-3
2. SOLOVEVA, Alisa/VAN ECK, Tayla (WIN) vs. Tracy Johnson/Caroline Ferrari (PC) 5-2, unfinished
3. KELIC, Aida/BURNS, Ellie (WIN) def. Beth Taylor/Brittany Nuttall (PC) 6-1

2018 BIG SOUTH WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Wednesday, April 18 – First Round
Match 1:  No. 8 Gardner-Webb vs. No. 9 Longwood, 10:00am – Longwood, 4-3
 
Thursday, April 19 – Quarterfinals
Match 2:  No. 1 Winthrop vs. No. 9 Longwood, 9:00am – Winthrop, 4-0
Match 3:  No. 4 Charleston Southern vs. No. 5 Presbyterian College, 12:00pm - Presbyterian, 4-2
Match 4:  No. 2 Liberty vs. No. 7 UNC Asheville, 3:00pm - Liberty, 4-0
Match 5:  No. 3 Campbell vs. No. 6 Radford, 6:00pm - Campbell, 4-1
 
Friday, April 20 – Semifinals
Match 6:  No. 1 Winthrop vs. No. 5 Presbyterian, 10:00am – Winthrop, 4-0
Match 7:  No. 2 Liberty vs. No. 3 Campbell, 2:00pm - Liberty, 4-0
 
Saturday, April 21 – Championship
Match 8:  No. 1 Winthrop vs. No. 2 Liberty, 10:00am