DANVILLE, Va. – Averett became just the second team since the 2014 campaign to turn back Salem in a tennis conference opener on Saturday, March 26th, when the Cougars earned a 9-0 victory in the final USA South Conference clash between the two programs.
The Cougars, who moved to 4-3 on the slate, earned their first point of the day by default with the tandem of Keira Gunning and Inka Zeifstra receiving credit from No. 3 doubles. Alejandra Garcia and Paula Rhysen quickly moved that margin to 2-0 with an 8-0 win over the tandem of Alyson Gammons and Alyssa Cosentino.
The No. 1 doubles pairing of Maxence Lippens and Linnea Sjostrom Krook brought home the third point for the Cougars with an 8-1 victory over Haley Gilley and McKinley Rice.
A pair of default wins by Megan Lombardt, at No. 5 singles, and Krook in No. 4 singles, clinched the team win for Averett, extending the lead to 5-0. Gunning stretched the margin to 6-0 when she triumphed over Gammons (6-0, 6-0) in No. 4 singles.
Garcia kept the Spirits scoreless with a 6-0, 6-0 win in No. 3 singles over Cosentino, while Zeilstra picked up a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Rice in a clash of No. 2 singles. Lippens completed the perfect sweep for Averett by claiming a 6-0, 6-1 win against Gilley in No. 1 action.
Salem returns to the courts on Wednesday, March 30th when the Spirits host Southern Virginia at 3 p.m. at the Bert Lain Tennis Center.