RADFORD, Va. – Top-seeded Winthrop women's tennis (14-7, 9-0 Big South) opened play in the Big South Conference Championship Wednesday with a 4-0 sweep of No. 9 USC Upstate (4-19) Wednesday morning. The Eagles will face No. 4 seed Campbell in the semifinals Thursday at 3 p.m.

HOW IT HAPPENED 
-Winthrop took the opening doubles point in dominant fashion as nationally ranked duo Megan Kauffman and Lauren Proctor shut out Maria Jardim and Vale Zarama 6-0 and court three pair Ellie Burns and Tayla Van Eck dispatched Noelia Acuna and Gabriela Cevallos 6-1.
 
-Proctor came out blazing in singles play as well. The 55^th-ranked player in the country posted a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Victoria Saldh at the first position to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead.
 
-Van Eck pushed the score to 3-0 with a dominant showing at the No. 5 position, downing Zarama 6-1, 6-0.
 
-Rafaela Santos would post the clinching victory with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Jardim at the No. 4 spot.
  
NOTABLES
-Though not all matches were played to completion in the tournament format, every Eagle player won her first set in singles competition and was leading in the second set when the match was clinched.

-Van Eck earned her 10th singles victory of the season.
 
UP NEXT
Winthrop advances to the semifinals on Thursday at 3 p.m., facing No. 4 Campbell who defeated No. 5 Charleston Southern 4-0 in the quarterfinals.

FULL RESULTS

Singles
1. #55 PROCTOR, Lauren (WIN) def. SALDH, Victoria (UPSTW) 6-1, 6-2
2. SOLOVEVA, Alisa (WIN) vs. ACUNA, Noelia (UPSTW) 6-4, 3-1, unfinished
3. KAUFFMAN, Megan (WIN) vs. HELLBERG, Elin (UPSTW) 6-3, 4-2, unfinished
4. SANTOS, Rafaela (WIN) def. JARDIM, Maria (UPSTW) 6-2, 6-1
5. VAN ECK, Tayla (WIN) def. ZARAMA, Vale (UPSTW) 6-1, 6-0
6. BURNS, Ellie (WIN) vs. BOZA, Ana (UPSTW) 6-2, 3-1, unfinished

Doubles
1. #43 KAUFFMAN, Megan/PROCTOR, Lauren (WIN) def. JARDIM, Maria/ZARAMA, Vale (UPSTW) 6-0
2. SANTOS, Rafaela/SOLOVEVA, Alisa (WIN) vs. HELLBERG, Elin/SALDH, Victoria (UPSTW) 3-3, unfinished
3. BURNS, Ellie/VAN ECK, Tayla (WIN) def. ACUNA, Noelia/CEVALLOS, Gabriela (UPSTW) 6-1

Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (1,5,4)