GREENVILLE, S.C. -- In the battle of the Southern Conference's unbeaten teams, No. 32 Furman dominated ETSU, 5-2, Saturday at the Mickel Tennis Center in Greenville, S.C.

With the win, Furman (19-6, 7-0 SoCon) clinched the Southern Conference regular season title and earned the No. 1 seed in next weekend's league tournament.  The title, which is the Paladins' fifth-straight, is Furman's 24th overall.  The Paladins will play No. 4 Samford Friday at 3 p.m. in the opening round of the conference championships, which will be held in Birmingham, Ala.  

ETSU drops to 12-9, 6-1 in the Southern Conference with the loss and will be the No. 2 seed in the championship tournament and will face No. 3 seed Wofford on Friday.

Furman won two of three doubles matches to take the opening point.  Senior MaryAnn Rompf, who was honored prior to the match in senior day festivities along with Carol Elizabeth Kerman, Katarina Kozarov, and Georgie Walker, teamed up with junior Madison Dillon to blank Alejandra Morales and Mayya Gorbunova, 6-0, at flight one, and sophomore Maggie Pate and junior Julia Adams defeated Andrea Pascual-Larrinaga and Maria Carvajal, 6-2, at number three.  The Bucs were victorious at flight two, where Emilia Alfaro and Laylo Bakhodirova beat freshman  Ellie Schoppe and Kozarov, 6-3.  

The Paladins scored four-consecutive points in singles to take a 5-0 lead.  Schoppe made quick work of Yunuen Elizarraras, 6-0, 6-4, at flight six, and Adams, who ranks 104th nationally, topped Morales, 6-1, 6-3, at flight two.  Eleventh-ranked Kozarov then defeated Bakhodirova, 6-1, 6-3, in the top-seeded contest, and Rompf held off Alfaro, 6-1, 6-4, at flight four.

ETSU won the final two matches, as Carvajal downed Pate, 6-2, 6-4, at number five, and Pascual-Larrinaga beat Dillon, 6-4, 7-5, at number three.

"I could not be any more proud of this team," said Furman head coach Adam Herendeen.  "They have a level of toughness that is just incredibly rare, and it is impressive how they continue to respond to adversity.  Not only that, but these players are still improving daily.  We played a very solid match today, but I really believe that our best tennis is still in front of us!"

#32 Furman 5, ETSU 2

Singles competition

1. #11 Katarina Kozarov (FUR) def. Laylo Bakhodirova (ETSU) 6-1, 6-3

2. #104 Julia Adams (FUR) def. Alejandra Morales (ETSU) 6-1, 6-3

3. Andrea Pascual-Larrinaga (ETSU) def. Madison Dillon (FUR) 6-4, 7-5

4. MaryAnn Rompf (FUR) def. Emilia Alfaro (ETSU) 6-1, 6-4

5. Maria Carvajal (ETSU) def. Maggie Pate (FUR) 6-2, 6-4

6. Ellie Schoppe (FUR) def. Yunuen Elizarraras (ETSU) 6-0, 6-4

Doubles competition

1. Madison Dillon/MaryAnn Rompf (FUR) def. Alejandra Morales/Mayya Gorbunova (ETSU) 6-0

2. Emilia Alfaro/Laylo Bakhodirova (ETSU) def. Ellie Schoppe/Katarina Kozarov (FUR) 6-3

3. Maggie Pate/Julia Adams (FUR) def. Andrea Pascual-Larrinaga/Maria Carvajal (ETSU) 6-2

Match Notes: ETSU 12-9, 6-1 SoCon • Furman `19-6, 7-0 SoCon; National ranking #32

Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (6,2,1,4,5,3)