Carvajal with 6-4, 6-1 win, Alfaro with second straight set win over Furman

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (April 23, 2022) – Looking to avenge the regular-season loss at home, Fernanda Carvajal (Queretaro, Mexico) and Emilia Alfaro (Azul, Argentina) clinched wins to keep ETSU close, but it wasn’t enough.

The Bucs, the No. 2 seed and ranked 74^th in the nation, fell to top-seeded Furman 4-2 in the championship match of the 2022 SoCon Women’s Tennis Tournament. ETSU lost 5-2 in the regular-season meeting, a de facto regular-season championship meeting as both teams entered the meeting unbeaten in conference play.

After taking down Snyder and Dawson in the regular-season meeting, Carvajal and Daniela Rivera (Maturin, Venezuela) suffered their first loss as a pair this season. Laylo Bakhodirova (Tashkent, Uzbekistan) and Alejandra Morales (Santiago, Chile) had to go to the tiebreaker against the 38^th-ranked pair in the nation, but Furman clinched the doubles point after two matches.

Looking to take four singles matches, Carvajal and Alfaro stepped up big as Carvajal took down this year’s SoCon Freshman of the Year Sara Snyder 6-4, 6-1, avenging her regular-season loss. Alfaro tied the match at two with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-0 win in straight sets. Furman would take the No. 2 and put the Paladins within one match of the tournament title.

At the No. 1 flight, it was a matchup that lived to the anticipation but didn’t land ETSU’s way. Bakhodirova, going up against the SoCon Player of the Year, went back-and-forth with Adams, forcing two tiebreaker sets against the top-50 player. The battle of two first-team all-conference selections was the final match of the conference tournament.

ETSU will have to wait until May 2 and 3 to see if the Bucs will earn an at-large bid at the 2022 NCAA Tournament or if an individual makes the tournament.

Singles Competition

1. #46 Julia Adams (FUR) def. #117 Laylo Bakhodirova (ETSU) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (8-6)
2. Ellie Schoppe (FUR) def Alejandra Morales (ETSU) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
3. Fernanda Carvajal (ETSU) def. Sara Snyder (FUR) 6-4, 6-1
4. Emilia Alfaro (ETSU) def. Madison Dillon (FUR) 7-6 (7-4), 6-0
5. Ellie Schulson (FUR) vs. Daniela Rivera (ETSU) 6-1, 3-6, 4-3 unfinished
6. Jess Dawson (FUR) def. Yunuen Elizarraras (ETSU) 6-2, 6-2

Doubles Competition

1. #38 Julia Adams/Ellie Schoppe (FUR) def. Laylo Bakhodirova/Alejandra Morales (ETSU) 7-6 (7-4)
2. Madison Dillon/Ellie Schulson (FUR) vs. Emilia Alfaro/Mayya Gorbunova (ETSU) 5-6, unfinished
3. Jess Dawson/Sara Snyder (FUR) def. Fernanda Carvajal/Daniela Rivera (ETSU) 6-4

Match Notes: #74 ETSU 17-9, #36 Furman 21-6

Order of Finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (6,3,4,2,1)

(1) Furman vs. (2) ETSU

Southern Conference Championships – Women’s Final

For more information on Buccaneer women’s tennis, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the women’s tennis page.