Voloh Sets Program Record, Dukes Drop First Sun Belt Match at Southern

Friday, April 14

Statesboro, Ga.

11 a.m.

James Madison University

Georgia Southern

Voloh Sets Program Record, Dukes Drop First Sun Belt Match at Southern

4/14/2023 4:24:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score

STATESBORO, Ga. – James Madison senior Daniela Voloh set the program's singles wins record in thrilling fashion, but Georgia Southern was able to squeak out a 4-3 Sun Belt Conference women's tennis victory against the Dukes on Friday afternoon at the Wallis Tennis Center.

The Eagles improved to 16-4 on the year and 7-2 in Sun Belt play, while the Dukes fell for the first time in conference action, dropping to 11-7 and 7-1.

Voloh won her 87th career singles match after battling back from a set down and a second-set tiebreak. She surpassed Emma Peterson, who won 86 singles bouts from 2015-19.

She was also the lone Duke to go 2-0 on the day, as she and Daria Munteanu clinched the doubles point with a tight victory. Also claiming a singles victory on Friday was Hope Moulin.

GS dropped the doubles point but would win four of six singles matches to upend the Dukes.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Doubles Play

JMU gained the early advantage on court three, where Daria Afanasyeva and Reka Matko downed Ninon Martinache and Lindsay Tulenko, 6-3.
The Dukes clinched the doubles point on court two, as Daria Munteanu and Daniela Voloh won consecutive games to break the 5-5 tie, defeating Sonja Keranen and Ana Tsitavets, 7-5.
The court one match featuring JMU's Kylie Moulin and Ines Oliveira versus GS's Silvia Martinez and Liv Ryan went unfinished while tied 6-6.

Singles Play

Georgia Southern flipped the switch early in singles play, claiming first-set victories on courts two through five, while JMU held a set lead from each of the Moulin sisters on courts one and six.
GS squared the match at 1-1 with a victory on court five, as Martinache edged Munteanu, 6-4, 6-4.
With five matches playing into the third set, the Eagles took the lead, at 2-1, with a win on court four. Tulenko pulled away in the final frame to beat Oliveira, 6-1, 2-6, 6-2.
Despite leading in the third set on court one, Kylie Moulin dropped consecutive games to fall to Martinez, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
At the conclusion of court one's match, which put GS up 3-1, the Dukes held a game lead on each of the final three courts.
Hope Moulin went back and forth with Paul Hijos on court six, breaking the GS serve in the final game to claim a 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 triumph. Her win cut the Eagles' lead to 3-2 with two matches remaining.
After rallying in a tiebreak to force a third set, Voloh became JMU's singles wins leader with 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 victory against Nanaka Kijima on court three.
With the match all tied up at 3-3, the team victory would be decided on court two. Tsitavets was able to clamp down in the waning moments to upend Afanasyeva, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5.

UP NEXT
JMU travels to Conway, S.C., for another big Sun Belt test at Coastal Carolina. The opening serve is set for 10 a.m. at the Stevens Tennis Complex.