Agate
Tournament Central
 
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Looking for its second straight conference tournament title, the Elon University women's tennis team played a hard-fought match but was defeated by second-seeded College of Charleston in the semifinals of the Colonial Athletic Association Women's Tennis Championships today, April 18, at the Millie West Tennis Facility.
 
The Phoenix ends the season with a record of 15-8, marking the fourth straight season that the team has finished with 15 or more wins.
 
"We fought really hard and came up just a little bit short," Elon head coach Elizabeth Anderson said. "I feel like we've done a lot of really good things this season. We have six freshman and they have really shown a lot of heart this year. I'm sorry for the seniors with this being their last match. We didn't want it to end this way but we have a lot to be proud of this year and there are lots of positives to build on."
 
College of Charleston (14-12) took a 1-0 lead after doubles play by winning on two of the three courts. The duo of Erica Braschi and Taylor Casey continued their impressive play for the Phoenix, winning 8-3 on court No. 3.
 
Casey battled in her singles match against the Cougars' Jenny Falcone but dropped a tiebreaker in the first set and lost the second set, which gave College of Charleston a 2-0 lead. Barbora Lazarova tallied Elon's lone point of the day with a 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 3 singles.
 
Each of the remaining four singles matches went to a third set. The Cougars' Samantha Maddox defeated Kirsten Ward, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in three sets, and Grace Baker won by the same margin at No. 5 singles to clinch the match for College of Charleston.
 
Braschi trailed, 3-0, in the second set of her match at No. 4 singles, but rallied to win the set, 7-5, and force a third set. Her match, along with Olivia Lucas' at No. 2 singles, went unfinished.
 
How it happened: College of Charleston took the doubles point and jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a win at No. 5 singles. Lazarova cut the deficit to 2-1 with a 6-2, 6-3 win on court No. 3, but the Cougars won matches on court Nos. 6 and 1 to clinch the match and advance to the CAA Tournament title match tomorrow, April 19.

Notes: Braschi and Casey ended the season on an eight-match winning streak at No. 3 doubles … Elon advanced past the first round of the conference tournament for the fifth straight year … CofC has won 10 straight matches … The Cougars topped Elon, 4-3, on April 10 and has now eliminated Elon from postseason play in three of the last four seasons