Dukes Open Spring Slate with 5-2 Win Against Towson

Saturday, January 24

Annapolis, Md.

7:30 p.m.

James Madison University

Towson

1/24/2015 11:58:00 PM | Women's Tennis

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – James Madison women's tennis opened the 2015 dual slate with a 5-2 win over Colonial Athletic Association foe Towson (1-1) in a neutral-court match Saturday night in Annapolis, Md.

"Today was a day we just had to gut out," Head Coach James Bryce said after the win. "Playing without a full strength squad and against a very good Towson team, we had to trust in what we teach and practice every day. The girls did a great job rebounding after doubles action and took five of six singles matches. Overall, this was a solid team performance."

Senior Taylor Pinchoff (Sylvan Lake, Mich./West Bloomfield) and sophomore Rachel Nelson (Big Prairie, Ohio/West Holmes) opened doubles play with a 6-1 win over Cailey Easdale and Barbora Vasilkova at the No. 2 position before the Tigers picked up wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 positions to take the first point of the day. Freshman Dylan Owens (Olney, Md./Sherwood) and sophomore Emily Bradshaw (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada/Blyth Academy) fell 6-3 to A.J. Gomer and Renate van Oorschodt at No. 3 doubles while senior Sarah Khan (Islamabad, Pakistan/Overseas Pakistani Foundation College (New Mexico)) and sophomore Rebecca Harris (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Christian (Virginia Tech)) dropped a 6-4 decision to Lucy Williams and Nicole Shakhnazarova at No. 1 doubles.

In her first collegiate dual match, Owens tied it at 1-all for the Dukes with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Gomer at No. 4 singles, followed by a 6-4, 6-0 win by Pinchoff over Sophie Lesage at No. 1 singles to give JMU a 2-1 advantage.

Freshman Kimmy Herrock (Tarpon Springs, Fla./East Lake) continued the winning ways for Madison with a two-set win (6-3, 6-2) over Vasilkova at No. 5 singles, tallying a third point for JMU in her first collegiate dual match.

The Dukes clinched the decisive fourth point when Harris rattled off straight 6-4 set wins over van Oorschodt at No. 6 singles. The victory marked the first of Harris' career for the purple and gold.

Khan took an early lead over Shakhnazarova at No. 3 singles, winning set one 6-1. Shakhnazarova, however, picked up a pair of 6-4 wins in sets two and three to take the point. Nelson finished the day with a hard-fought, three-set win (7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 10-6) over Williams at No. 2 singles.

JMU continues its opening weekend on Sunday, January 25 with a 2 p.m. match at Navy.

JMU 5, Towson 2
Singles
1. Taylor Pinchoff (JMU) def. Sophie Lesage (TU) 6-4, 6-0
2. Rachel Nelson (JMU) def. Lucy Williams (TU) 7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 10-6
3. Nicole Shakhnazarova (TU) def. Sarah Khan (JMU) 1-6, 6-4, 6-4
4. Dylan Owens (JMU) def. A.J. Gomer (TU) 6-2, 6-1
5. Kimmy Herrock (JMU) def. Barbora Vasilkova (TU) 6-3, 6-2
6. Rebecca Harris (JMU) def. Renate van Oorschodt (TU) 6-4, 6-4
Order of Finish: 4, 1, 5, 6*, 3, 2
Doubles
1. Williams/Shakhnazarova (TU) def. Khan/Harris (JMU) 6-4
2. Pinchoff/Nelson (JMU) def. Cailey Easdale/Vasilkova (TU) 6-1
3. Gomer/van Oorschodt (TU) def. Owens/Emily Bradshaw (JMU) 6-3
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1*