Asheville, N.C. - Gardner-Webb's women's tennis team saw the 2012 season come to a close Thursday, as the 5th-seeded Runnin' Bulldogs came up short in a tight 4-1 match versus No. 4 Radford in the first round of the Big South Tournament.

Gardner-Webb (13-9, 4-5) was put in a 1-0 hole after dropping a hard-fought doubles point.

After Radford (18-6, 5-4) took an early advantage with a win at No. 2 doubles, the Runnin' Bulldog tandem of Jenny Lunde and Ioana Oprea found themselves in a dog fight with Radford's Mia Drobnjak/Taylor Newman at No. 1. The Highlanders would take a close 9-8 win there to seal the point.

Radford pressed its advantage at the start of singles play, winning the first set at 4 of the 6 singles positions. Mia Drobnjak's 6-3, 6-4 win at the No. 3 spot put the Highlanders on top 2-0.

Gardner-Webb would fight back, however, forcing the matches at No.'s 2 and 6 to go to three sets.

Junior Erica White (Charleston, W.V.) cut GWU's deficit in half with a 6-0, 7-5 win at No. 1, outlasting Petra Dajevic to make it 2-1 in favor of Radford.

Radford countered with a win at No. 4 singles, securing a 6-0, 6-4 win from Gemma Valls to go up 3-1.

Gardner-Webb freshman Yasmin Doost (Bray, England) battled back from a first set deficit to keep the Runnin' Bulldogs right in it, winning her second set before falling in the third to Meg Napolitano by a final 6-0, 3-6, 6-3 margin to provide the final tally.

The matches at No.'s 2 and 5 went unfinished. Both Alice Hopkins (4-6, 6-3, 3-2) and Ronia Hutterli (6-4, 6-5) held leads in their singles matches when they were called.

GWU ends the 2012 season boasting the Big South's Freshman of the Year, two of the conference's singles All-Conference members, a Big South All-Academic Team member, and four student-athletes with double digit singles wins.

The Big South Freshman of the Year and All-Conference singles recipient, Hopkins (Birmingham, England) ends the season with a 19-2 singles record, recording the team's most singles wins on the year. White (All-Conference singles) finishes the 2012 campaign with a 16-6 singles record, holding down the No. 1 position all year for the Runnin' Bulldogs. Both Ioana Oprea (16-5) and Jenny Lunde (10-11) also provided double digit singles wins for GWU this season.

Gardner-Webb will look to build on the success of this season as it looks ahead to the 2013 campaign.

 

Match Results: RU 4 - GWU 1

Doubles

1. Mia Drobnjak/Taylor Newman (RU) def. Ioana Oprea/Junny Lunde (GWU) 9-8 (6)

2. Meg Napolitano/Hannah Crawford (RU) def. Alice Hopkins/Yasmin Doost (GWU) 8-1

3. Erica White/Ronia Hutterli (GWU) led Petra Dajevic/Gemma Valls (RU) 7-6, unfinished

 

Singles

1. Erica White (GWU) def. Petra Dajevic (RU) 6-0, 7-5

2. Alice Hopkins (GWU) led Hannah Crawford (RU) 4-6, 6-3, 3-2

3. Mia Drobnjak (RU) def. Ioana Oprea (GWU) 6-3, 6-4

4. Gemma Valls (RU) def. Jenny Lunde (GWU) 6-0, 6-4

5. Ronia Hutterli (GWU) led Taylor Newman (RU) 6-4, 6-5

6. Meg Napolitano (RU) def. Yasmin Doost (GWU) 6-0, 3-6, 6-3