CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston Southern, facing a conference-leading women's tennis team for the second time in as many weeks, fell by a 5-1 score at UNC Greensboro Thursday, March 31. The Spartans, currently atop Southern Conference standings, won for the fourth time in their last five matches.

The Buccaneers are now 6-7 on the season, and hold a 3-2 record in the Big South. UNCG improves to 9-4, and the Spartans are 4-0 in Southern Conference play.

Thursday's match was contested at the Piedmont Indoor Tennis Center in Greensboro due to the threat of inclement weather. The final singles match went unfinished, as the teams ran over their allotted time at the public courts.

UNC Greensboro earned the first point of the match by winning all three doubles contests. Nitooli Wilkins and Lucy Dougherty beat Alexandra Walters and Angie Torres, 8-2 in the second flight.

The No. 1 team of Stephanie MacFarlane and Alex Whitehead defeated Olga Makhova and Marija Dzakovic, 8-1 to clinch the doubles point. Annette Rios and Mikayla Rogers completed the doubles sweep with an 8-4 win over Alia Nour and Brooke Pletcher.

UNCG took a 3-0 lead after winning the first two singles matches to be completed. Dougherty bested Torres in straight sets at No. 5 singles, while Macfarlane claimed a two-set victory over Nour.

A 6-4, 6-4 win by Dzakovic over Whitehead at No. 2 singles kept CSU in the match at 3-1. However, Dilara Yurtkuran clinched the match for UNCG with a fourth-flight victory against Pletcher.

Makhova won the first set at No. 1 singles against Wilkins, but Wilkins came back to take the last two sets and the match. Walters led the third set at No. 6 singles, 3-1, over Rogers. However, the match was ended before the sixth flight concluded.

CSU next competes Saturday, April 2, as the team will travel to North Carolina to face UNC Asheville in a Big South match scheduled for 11 a.m.

UNC Greensboro (9-4) def. Charleston Southern (6-7) 5-1
Piedmont Indoor Tennis Center
Greensboro, N.C. - March 31, 2011

Singles Competition
1. Nitooli Wilkins (UNCG) d. Olga Makhova (CSU) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
2. Marija Dzakovic (CSU) d. Alex Whitehead (UNCG) 6-4, 6-4
3. Stephanie MacFarlane (UNCG) d. Alia Nour (CSU) 6-3, 6-0
4. Dilara Yurtkuran (UNCG) d. Brooke Pletcher (CSU) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4
5. Lucy Dougherty (UNCG) d. Angie Torres (CSU) 6-0, 6-1
6. Annette Rios (UNCG) vs. Alexandra Walters (CSU) 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 1-3, unfinished

Doubles Competition
1. Stephanie MacFarlane/Alex Whitehead (UNCG) d. Olga Makhova/Marija Dzakovic (CSU) 8-1
2. Nitooli Wilkins/Lucy Dougherty (UNCG) d. Alexandra Walters/Angie Torres (CSU) 8-2
3. Annette Rios/Mikayla Rogers (UNCG) d. Brooke Pletcher/Alia Nour (CSU) 8-4

Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (5,3,2,4,1)