CHATTANOOGA, TENN. -- Second-seeded Furman fell to No. 1 East Tennessee State, 4-1, Saturday in the championship match of the 2024 Southern Conference Championship at the Champions Club in Chattanooga, Tenn.

With the loss, Furman concludes the season with a 12-13 overall record and a 6-1 regular season SoCon mark.  ETSU (17-7, 7-0 SoCon) earns the SoCon's automatic bid to the NCAA Championships, which will be held at regional sites in early May.

Furman rallied from a 5-3 deficit at flight two doubles to clinch the opening point.  ETSU's Daniela Rivera and Fernanda Carvajal teamed up to beat junior Ellie Schulson and freshman Macy Hitchcock, 6-2, at number one, then juniors Jess Dawson and Sara Snyder defeated Ralitsa Alexandrova and Jana Rovira, 6-4, at flight three to force the decisive flight two contest.  Junior Grace Thomas and freshman Maeve Thornton won four-straight games to slip past Sofia Markova and Alessandra Caceres, 7-5, to claim the point.

In singles play, ETSU scored in straight sets at flights two, three, five, and six.  Carvajal topped Thornton, 6-3, 6-4, at flight two, and Rivera outlasted Schulson, 7-5, 6-4, at flight three.  At number five, Caceres downed Hitchcock, 6-2, 7-5, and at flight six, Alexandrova held off junior Marissa Pennings, 7-5, 6-2.

Matches at flights one and four were unfinished.  The Paladins won the first set in each of the unfinished matches, with Snyder taking set one, 7-5, at flight one, and Thomas winning set one, 6-3, at number four.

#2 Furman vs. #1 ETSU • 4/20/2024 at Chattanooga, Tenn. • Champions Club

East Tennessee State 4, Furman 1

Singles competition

1. Sofia Markova (ETSU) vs. Sara Snyder (FUR) 5-7, 6-0, 5-3, unfinished 

2. Fernanda Carvajal (ETSU) def. Maeve Thornton (FUR) 6-3, 6-4

3. Daniela Rivera (ETSU) def. Ellie Schulson (FUR) 7-5, 6-4

4. Jana Rovira (ETSU) vs. Grace Thomas (FUR) 3-6, 6-4, 3-1, unfinished 

5. Alessandra Caceres (ETSU) def. Macy Hitchcock (FUR) 6-2, 7-5

6. Ralitsa Alexandrova (ETSU) def. Marissa Pennings (FUR) 7-5, 6-2

Doubles competition

1. Fernanda Carvajal/Daniela Rivera (ETSU) def. Ellie Schulson/Macy Hitchcock (FUR) 6-2

2. Maeve Thornton/Grace Thomas (FUR) def. Sofia Markova/Alessandra Caceres (ETSU) 7-5 

3. Jess Dawson/Sara Snyder (FUR) def. Jana Rovira/Ralitsa Alexandrova (ETSU) 6-4

Match Notes: Furman 12-13 • East Tennessee State 17-7

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

2024 Southern Conference Tournament (Women's Finals)