Hatters Fall 3-2 to Tulane, South Carolina

Namike, Ferraris win twice on the day

Columbia, S.C. -- Stetson dropped a pair of tightly-contested 3-2 decisions to Tulane and #19 South Carolina Friday afternoon on day 1 of the Carolina Challenge at Wheeler Beach.

The 12th-ranked Hatters came just a few points short in each dual and fell to 5-5 on the season.

In the opening dual, the Green Wave (8-1) jumped out to a 2-0 lead with victories at Pairs 4 and 5. Tulane would eventually clinch the dual with a win at Pair 3, but the Hatters claimed victories at each of the top two seeds.

At Pair 1, Shae Henson and Karin Zolnercikova took a wild first set over Mollie Ebertin and Kendall Peters 32-30, and then the Hatter duo worked extra points again in set 2 before claiming a 22-20 win.

At Pair 2, Carolina Ferraris and Anete Namike defeated Sara Hall and Maddie Speicher 21-17, 21-16.

In the nightcap, the dual started with the teams splitting the first wave - the Hatters got a 3-set win from Klea Sirois and Tori Clement at Pair 5, 21-13, 15-21, 15-12, while the Gamecocks (7-4) earned a 2-1 win at Pair 4.

South Carolina then took a 2-1 lead with a straight set win at Pair 3, and with darkness setting in and the Wheeler Beach lights on, the top two seeds battled deep into a third set.

On Court 2, Namike and Ferraris defeated Kennedy Westendorff and Kaeli Crews 21-13, 16-21, 15-8 to even the score 2-2. The dual came down to a decisive third set on Court 1, where the Gamecocks took a 15-11 decision to secure the victory.

The Carolina Challenge continues Saturday as the Hatters face Stephen F. Austin at 9 a.m. and UNC Wilmington at 1 p.m.

About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program is driven by a shared purpose. It is what inspires, motivates and binds us together. More than a task, a reason for being. THE HATTER PURPOSE is to create and provide an experience of a lifetime through teamwork and relationships to achieve excellence. This purpose is achieved through five Core Values: Communication, Integrity, Excellence, Value People and Commitment. To learn more about the HATS program and our Core Values, visit GoHatters.com/HATS.

Print Friendly Version