Galasso wins USA South singles opener, women fall

Rocky Mount, NC - Freshman Jaime Galasso earned a 6-4, 6-3 win at #1 singles in Thursday's league opener versus Shenandoah, but it was not enough as her North Carolina Wesleyan women's tennis team fell to the Hornets by an 8-1 score. Freshman Antti Saari continued to dominate on the men's side, leading Wesleyan to a 6-3 win over Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday and a 9-0 sweep of SU on Thursday. Wesleyan's men are now 4-3 overall, 1-0 in league play. The women, who dropped a 9-0 match to the Marlins on Wednesday, are now 0-8 overall, 0-1 in conference action.

The Bishop men began play on Wednesday by taking two of three doubles matches from VWC. Saari and Brandon Coleman were 8-2 winners at the top slot, while Matt Smith and Mike Harrison were 8-6 winners at #3.

Wesleyan went on to earns wins at 1-4 in singles play.  Smith's straight-set win over Lee Cebula at #4 sealed the 6-3 win for the Bishops.

In Thursday's league opener, Wesleyan carried the momentum of a 3-0 doubles sweep to a 9-0 win over Shenandoah. The win was the third straight for the men.

The women, however, did not fair as well as freshman Jaime Galasso recorded the Bishops' lone point. Galasso was a 6-4, 6-3 win over SU's Colleen Hightower at #1 singles and is now 5-3 at the top spot this season.

Both the men and women return to action on Saturday when Bridgewater College visits the NCWC Tennis Complex. Saturday's matches are slated to begin at 1:00 p.m.