Wins over East Tennessee State, College of Charleston start 2014 campaign
After ending last season on a four-match losing streak, the South Carolina women’s tennis team was anxious to find success early in 2014. The Gamecocks did just that Saturday, opening the season with a pair of victories.
But as the doubleheader proved, teams do not necessarily notch two tallies in the win column the same way.
South Carolina defeated East Tennessee State 4-3 and College of Charleston 6-1 in matches played at the USC Field House instead of the Carolina Tennis Center because the outdoor temperature never reached 50 degrees. The change in location reflected the unique nature of the doubleheader, which saw the Gamecocks win once by superior performance and once by default.
South Carolina (2-0, 0-0 SEC) justified its preseason No. 33 ranking from the start of the afternoon match against College of Charleston (1-2, 0-0 CAA). The Gamecocks quickly won the doubles point, as both top pairings—juniors Meghan Blevins and Elixane Lechemia, and senior Katerina Popova and sophomore Ximena Siles Luna—dismissed their Cougar opponents with 6-1 set victories.
“I think we match each other [well] in doubles,” Lechemia said about her on-court chemistry with Blevins. “We’re both really aggressive … she has a really good volley; I have a good serve.”
Lechemia brought the same intensity to her singles match. Playing in the #1 slot, she picked up an easy point for the Gamecocks by topping Kelly Kambourelis in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0.
Coach Kevin Epley saw significant improvement in Lechemia’s game, something he largely attributes to the France native’s adjustment to American college tennis over the last year.
“She had some struggles with her forehand last year,” Epley said, “and she started to get clearer in terms of her purpose with the forehand. She’s getting in tighter behind her serve, she’s getting in faster … she’s all around a bigger threat.”
Blevins, a transfer from Oklahoma State, also proved quite a threat in her South Carolina debut. She followed up the doubles win with a defeat of Katherine Schofield 6-3, 6-1, in #4 singles play. Although a newcomer, she emerged as one of the Gamecocks’ vocal leaders, consistently calling out words of encouragement to her teammates between points.
“That’s just always been my thing, to be a little bit louder,” Blevins said. “It’s what you feel comfortable with … it makes it easier for me to play my game like that.”
For all the energy that characterized the second match of the doubleheader, hardly any action distinguished the first.
With a roster depleted by injuries and illness, East Tennessee State (0-1, 0-0 Atlantic Sun) was only able to field three singles players. This gave South Carolina four points—from three singles matches and overall doubles—by forfeit, securing a team victory before any individuals began play.
The Gamecocks lost all three matches actually completed, but the unusual situation allowed Epley to change his typical lineup and instead evaluate talent further down on the depth chart.
“It was a good match as far as experience goes,” Epley said. “[It was about some players] playing higher in the lineup than they would; testing their confidence a little bit. They did pretty well, so we’re happy.”
South Carolina hopes its performance against College of Charleston, not to mention the format of the overall match, will repeat itself as the season progresses.
“We’re on the right track,” Epley said. “A lot of our girls are playing at a high level. [But] there are teams better than us, so we just have to close that gap, day by day.”