AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken men's and women's tennis teams were unable to emerge victorious in their Peach Belt Conference openers on Friday afternoon at the USC Aiken Tennis Complex.
In a battle of top 25 teams, the 25th-ranked USC Aiken men's tennis team dropped a 6-3 decision to No. 12 Georgia College. The USC Aiken women fell 6-3 to the 30th-ranked Georgia College women.
The Pacer men dropped to an even 1-1 (0-1 PBC) on the year with the loss, while the USC Aiken women are now 2-2 (0-1 PBC) on the 2011 season. The Georgia College men and women are both now 2-0 (1-0 PBC).
An All-America selection last season and currently ranked 38th in the nation in singles, USC Aiken's Gregory Andrade (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Unigrade Valinhos) earned the Pacers' only win at singles in the men's match. It was a big one as Andrade was able to knock off national No. 16 Jerome Leborgne of Georgia College 6-7, 6-4, 7-5.
Andrade and doubles partner Bruno Orlandini (Araraquara, SP/Brazil /Longwood) won at No. 1 doubles. The nationally 14th-ranked tandem downed Georgia College's duo of Leborgne and Johan Wadstein, 8-2.
Lucas Gobbi (Santa Bárbara d'Oeste, Brazil /Colegio Politec) and doubles partner Josh Rees (Torquay, England/Torquay Boy's Grammar School) claimed USC Aiken's final point on Friday with an 8-6 win at No. 2 doubles over Georgia College's Leo Barnardes and Tyler Franks.
The Pacer women collected wins at No. 1 and No. 2 singles. Stephanie Humphrey (Harpenden, England/Sir John Lawes) claimed her second straight win over a regionally-ranked opponent with a 6-4, 6-1 win over current regional No. 13 Bertille Lion of Georgia College.
At No. 2 singles, Margot Simon (Nantes, France/St. Joseph de Loquidy) bested Georgia College's May Johnson 6-2, 7-5.
The final point of the women's match came at No. 3 doubles with USC Aiken's duo of Melanie Schnieder (Gensingen, Germany/Lina-Hilger Gymnasium) and Caitlyn Lawrence (Barrie, Ontario /Barrie North Collegiate) downing Georgia College's Lisa Setyon and Tracy Bain, 8-6.
Both the Pacer men and women will close out their week on Saturday at 2 p.m. with a home match against Limestone.
