BIRMINGHAM, ALA. -- No. 35 Furman blanked Samford, 7-0, Friday at the Samford Tennis Center in Birmingham, Ala.  With the win, the Paladins, who are unbeaten in SoCon play, have won 16 out of their last 18 matches with Power 5 victories over Alabama, 16th-ranked Wake Forest, No. 18 South Carolina, Virginia Tech, and Clemson.  Furman is also 4-0 versus teams in South Carolina, having defeated USC, Clemson, Presbyterian, and Wofford.

The Paladins won two of three doubles matches to claim the doubles point.  Junior Madison Dillon and senior MaryAnn Rompf held off Natalie De Ugarte and Samantha Nanere, 7-5, at flight two, and sophomore Maggie Pate and freshman Ellie Schoppe defeated Alex Koniaev and Ally Hayduk, 6-1, at number three.  At flight one, Samford's Rouxanne Van Rensburg and Alexis Lopez recorded a 6-4 victory over senior Katarina Kozarov and junior Julia Adams, who rank 16th nationally.  

Furman swept the singles matches, winning four in straight sets.  Seventh-ranked Kozarov made quick work of Van Rensburg, winning 6-0, 6-1, at flight one, and Adams, who ranks 77th nationally, topped Du Ugarte, 6-1, 7-6(0), in the flight two match up.  At number three, Dillon outlasted Lopez, 6-2, 5-7, 1-0(8), and at flight four, Rompf recorded a 6-2, 4-6, 1-0(5) advantage over Nanere.  Pate downed Koniaev, 6-2, 6-0, at flight five, and Schoppe defeated Hayduk, 7-5, 6-4, at number six.

With the loss, Samford drops to 10-9 overall and 1-2 in league play.

Furman (17-6, 5-0 SoCon) rounds out the rest of the regular season at home.  The Paladins will entertain Mercer on Thursday at 3 p.m. then will honor the team's seniors in their final home match on April 17 versus ETSU.

#35 Furman 7, Samford Women's Tennis 0

Singles competition

1. #7 Katarina Kozarov (FUR) def. R. Van Rensburg (SAM-W) 6-0, 6-1

2. #77 Julia Adams (FUR) def. Natalia De Ugarte (SAM-W) 6-1, 7-6 (7-0)

3. Madison Dillon (FUR) def. Alexis Lopez (SAM-W) 6-2, 5-7, 1-0 (10-8)

4. MaryAnn Rompf (FUR) def. Samantha Nanere (SAM-W) 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 (10-5)

5. Maggie Pate (FUR) def. Alex Koniaev (SAM-W) 6-2, 6-0

6. Ellie Schoppe (FUR) def. Ally Hayduk (SAM-W) 7-5, 6-4

Doubles competition

1. R. Van Rensburg/Alexis Lopez (SAM-W) def. #16 Katarina Kozarov/Julia Adams (FUR) 6-4

2. Madison Dillon/MaryAnn Rompf (FUR) def. Natalia De Ugarte/Samantha Nanere (SAM-W) 7-5

3. Maggie Pate/Ellie Schoppe (FUR) def. Alex Koniaev/Ally Hayduk (SAM-W) 6-1

Match Notes: Furman 17-6; National ranking #35 • Samford Women's Tennis 10-9