CHATTANOOGA, TENN. -- Furman blanked Chattanooga, 4-0, Thursday in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Southern Conference Championship, which is being contested this week at the Champions Club in Chattanooga, Tenn.

With the win, Furman (12-11, 7-0 SoCon) advances to the semifinal round, where the Paladins will face fourth-seeded Mercer Friday at 2 p.m.  Furman has now reached the semifinals in each SoCon Championship since the tournament moved to a team scoring format in 1998.  UNCG concludes its season at 5-17.

The Paladins won at flights one and three doubles to score the opening point.  Sophomores Jess Dawson and Sara Snyder, who rank 67th nationally and were named to the All-SoCon first team for doubles, defeated Arina Babkova and Alexandra Dodashev, 6-3, in the top-seeded match, while senior Madison Dillon and freshman Luca Victoria Vocke beat Olivia Gallagher and Raegan Mitchell, 6-3, at flight three.  The flight two contest was unfinished with sophomores Marissa Pennings and Ellie Schulson leading Juliana Craft and Hanna Giddings, 5-3.  

Furman scored at flights three, four, and five singles for the victory.  Snyder posted a 6-2, 6-4 win versus Giddings at number three, and Dillon recorded a 6-3, 6-3 advantage over Gallagher at number four.  At flight five, Vocke, who was named to the All-SoCon second team for singles and to the SoCon All-Freshman Team, beat Craft, 6-2, 6-1.

Matches at flights one, two, and six were unfinished with Furman leading in all three contests.  Schulson was ahead of Babkova, 7-6(7), 1-0, at number one, and Pennings led Dodashev, 7-5, 3-2, at number two.  Sophomore Alex Griffith entered the lineup at flight six, where she was beating Mitchell, 6-4, 5-2. 
 

#8 UNCG vs. #1 Furman • 4/20/2023 at Chattanooga, Tenn. • Champions Club

Furman 4, UNCG 0

Singles competition

1. Ellie Schulson (FUR) vs. Arina Babkova (UNCGW) 7-6 (9-7), 1-0, unfinished

2. Marissa Pennings (FUR) vs. Alexandra Dodashev (UNCGW) 7-5, 3-2, unfinished

3. Sara Snyder (FUR) def. Hanna Giddings (UNCGW) 6-2, 6-4

4. Madison Dillon (FUR) def. Olivia Gallagher (UNCGW) 6-3, 6-3

5. Luca Victoria Vocke (FUR) def. Juliana Craft (UNCGW) 6-2, 6-1

6. Alexa Griffith (FUR) vs. Raegan Mitchell (UNCGW) 6-4, 5-2, unfinished

Doubles competition

1. #67 Jess Dawson/Sara Snyder (FUR) def. Arina Babkova/Alexandra Dodashev (UNCGW) 6-3

2. Marissa Pennings/Ellie Schulson (FUR) vs. Juliana Craft/Hanna Giddings (UNCGW) 5-3, unfinished

3. Madison Dillon/Luca Victoria Vocke (FUR) def. Olivia Gallagher/Raegan Mitchell (UNCGW) 6-3

Match Notes: UNCG 5-17 • Furman 12-11

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

2023 Southern Conference Tournament (Quarterfinals)

T-2:04 A-63