GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The Furman women's tennis team downed Presbyterian, 6-1, and fell to Iowa, 4-1, Saturday in the Paladins' 2026 opening day at the Mickel Tennis Center in Greenville, S.C.

Against the Blue Hose, Furman won the doubles point and captured five of six singles points.  At flight two doubles, freshmen Bianca Ceroni and Elle Warren defeated Grace Katzman and Roxy Valdes, 6-1, while junior Macy Hitchcock and freshman Molly Robinson blanked Mary Ellen Longmire and Sof Rodrigo Hidalgo, 6-0, at number three.

Freshman Lillie Murphy blew past Valdes, 6-2, 6-1, at flight two singles, and Hitchcock made quick work of Katzman, 6-3, 6-2, at number three.  At flight four, freshman Sasha Dimitrov recorded a 6-1, 6-1 advantage over Luciana Parrilli, then Ceroni defeated Longmire, 6-2, 6-2, at number five.  Freshman Lily Doherty entered the lineup at flight six, where she beat Rodrigo Hidalgo, 6-2, 6-4.

In the season opener versus Iowa on Saturday morning, Furman won the top two doubles contests to claim the opening point.  Dimitrov and Murphy topped Daianne Hayashida and Mia Mack, 6-1, at flight one, and Ceroni and Warren posted a 6-2 victory over Pia Kranholdt and Emma Tothova at flight two.  The Hawkeys scored in the first four singles flights to win the match, 4-1, but Murphy forced a third set at flight two before falling, 7-6(2), 2-6, 6-4, to Mack.  The Paladins won the first set at both flight five and six, but those matches were unfinished when the match was clinched.

Furman (1-1) will play host to Austin Peay State Monday at 11 a.m. at the Mickel Tennis Center.

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Iowa vs Furman • 01/17/2026 at Greenville, S.C. • Mickel Tennis Center
Iowa 4, Furman 1
Singles competition
1. Daianne Hayashida (IOWA) def. Elle Warren (FUR) 6-1, 6-4 
2. Mia Mack (IOWA) def. Lillie Murphy (FUR) 7-6 (7-2), 2-6, 6-4 
3. Emma Tothova (IOWA) def. Macy Hitchcock (FUR) 6-1, 6-4 
4. Pia Kranholdt (IOWA) def. Sasha Dimitrov (FUR) 6-4, 6-2
5. Bianca Ceroni (FUR) vs. Nikita Vishwase (IOWA) 6-4, 2-4, unfinished 
6. Molly Robinson (FUR) vs. Sally Xu (IOWA) 6-3, 2-2, unfinished

Doubles competition
1. Sasha Dimitrov/Lillie Murphy (FUR) def. Daianne Hayashida/Mia Mack (IOWA) 6-1
2. Bianca Ceroni/Elle Warren (FUR) def. Pia Kranholdt/Emma Tothova (IOWA) 6-2
3. Macy Hitchcock/Molly Robinson (FUR) vs. Eline Bex/Nikita Vishwase (IOWA) 3-4, unfinished

Match Notes:
Iowa 1-0, Furman 0-1
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (4,1,3,2) T-3:10

Presbyterian vs Furman • 01/17/2026 at Greenville, S.C. • Mickel Tennis Center
Furman 6, Presbyterian 1
Singles competition
1. Ladina Bruhin (PC) def. Elle Warren (FUR) 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-6) 
2. Lillie Murphy (FUR) def. Roxy Valdes (PC) 6-2, 6-1
3. Macy Hitchcock (FUR) def. Grace Katzman (PC) 6-3, 6-2
4. Sasha Dimitrov (FUR) def. Luciana Parrilli (PC) 6-1, 6-1
5. Bianca Ceroni (FUR) def. Mary Ellen Longmire (PC) 6-2, 6-2 
6. Lily Doherty (FUR) def. Sof Rodrigo Hidalgo (PC) 6-2, 6-4

Doubles competition
1. Sasha Dimitrov/Lillie Murphy (FUR) vs. Ladina Bruhin/McKenzie Davis (PC) 4-3, unfinished
2. Bianca Ceroni/Elle Warren (FUR) def. Grace Katzman/Roxy Valdes (PC) 6-1
3. Macy Hitchcock/Molly Robinson (FUR) def. Mary Ellen Longmire/Sof Rodrigo Hidalgo (PC) 6-0

Match Notes:
Presbyterian 0-1, Furman 1-1
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (2,4,3,1,5,6) T-3:30pm