Sweet Briar, Va. -- Graduate student Christina Harris won the decisive third set at No. 1 singles, leading University of Lynchburg's women's tennis team to a crucial 5-4 victory over Sweet Briar in a battle at the top of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference standings.
Harris, the winningest player in Lynchburg's program history, fell behind early at the top flight against Vixens No. 1 Ruth de Souza, dropping the first set, 6-2. Harris rebounded to win the second, 7-5, before putting the third away decisively, 6-3, to win Lynchburg the match.
Things started well for the Hornets, who jumped ahead 2-1 after doubles play with wins by Alissa Anderson and Lauren Pascadlo (8-5) at No. 2 and Elizabeth Teefey and Grace Teefey (8-3) at No. 3.
Lynchburg nearly made it a clean sweep in doubles play as Harris and Caroline Guill forced a 7-7 tie at the No. 1 flight but fell 7-4 in the tiebreak.
The teams began trading victories in singles play. Ellen Druebbisch won 6-1, 6-2 at No. 5 for the Hornets, and Guill was victorious 6-3, 6-1 at No. 6. SBC took victories at the second and third flights, to hang within one.
At No. 4, Pascadlo battled back after losing the first set, 6-2, to earn a 7-5 victory in the second. The Vixens' Isabella Guilarte managed the deciding third, 6-0, however, to even the score at 4-4 and make the match come down to No. 1.
Harris, who hasn't lost an ODAC singles match in her last 14 competitions, took care of the rest.
The Hornets have now won five straight against Sweet Briar and now sit alone atop the conference standings with a 5-0 mark. Lynchburg is 8-1 overall.
The Hornets will look to remain perfect in conference play Saturday when Shenandoah visits town for a noon match.
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