BELLEGY WINS SINGLES TITLE, ALL-COBRAS DOUBLES FINAL AT CAYCE INVITATIONAL

Cayce, SC - Jade Bellegy went a combined 8-0 this weekend, highlighting a phenomenal overall showing by the Coker Women's Tennis team.

Bellegy continues her great career as a Cobra after transferring in last season with a singles title at the Cayce Invitational at the Cayce Tennis Center that featured a number of Division II opponents. After receiving Second-Team All-Conference in the South Atlantic Conference last season, expectations were high for her entering into this fall. This was shown as she was the number one overall seed in this invitational, and she lived up to the title.

In the first two rounds, she defeated Barton's Alexandra Saez (6-1, 6-1) and Belmont Abbey's Mackenzie McCarthy (6-4, 6-3) to reach the quarterfinal. McCarthy was an opponent that Bellegy had been defeated by last year, so she was looking for revenge in this one. Down 1-4 in the first set, she surged back to win in straight sets. In the quarters and semis, she defeated Barton's Silvia Fernandez (6-3, 6-2) and Erskine's Ariana Jativa (6-4, 7-6 [5]) to notch a spot in the final. The semifinal against Jativa was a tough match, going down 0-5 in the second but refusing to give up and winning in a tiebreak 7-6 (5).

After the tough matches she endured in the round of 16 and in the semifinal, she was overprepared for the final and defeated Belmont Abbey's Hanley Riner (6-3, 6-1) in dominant fashion.

The doubles side proved to be the most successful for the Cobras, sending two pairs to meet up in the final. Bellegy and Emerson Banning paired up to win three matches to make the final, defeating Emmanuel's Shatavisa Ghosh and Sabina Roua (6-3), Erskine's Teodora Stefanovic and Rupal Kharb (7-5), and Barton's Tilde Howeler and Irma Grandstam (6-4).

Salomé Sierra and Caroline Myers teamed up to be the other pairing headed to the finals. They defeated Barton's Leonie Hellum-Lilleengen and Ruya Mavi (6-2), Belmont Abbey's Leilany Sanchez and Elizabeth Vollmin (6-4), and Erskine's Jativa (whom Bellegy defeated in the singles draw) and Iva Janketic (6-3). The two Cobra pairings ended up not facing off as Sierra sustained a minor injury that called the match-up off.

A great overall performance by the Cobras as we are excited to see their winning ways translate into the spring.