WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Salem tennis team, which picked up its fourth win in five matches on Thursday afternoon, looks to continue its solid play this weekend with trips to Mary Baldwin (April 22) and Hollins (April 23).

The Spirits, who are 4-7 overall and 3-5 in USA South Conference action, conclude the 2021-22 regular season on the road this weekend. Salem is looking to add two road victories and move its mark to 3-4 away from Bert Lain Tennis Center.

BREAKING DOWN THE SPIRITS: Four Spirits have multiple singles victories heading into the final weekend of the regular season. The tandem of Alyssa Cosentino and Alyson Gammons are tied for most singles wins with four, while Haley Gilley has three and McKinley Rice has notched two victories this season.

Cosentino has posted all four wins from the No. 3 position, while Gammons claimed three wins as a No. 4 seed and one in the fifth flight singles. Gilley's three wins have all come as Salem's No. 1 seed, while Rice picked up two as a No. 2 seed.

The top doubles unit for Salem this season consists of Gilley and Rice, who have three wins, all as the No. 1 seed. Cosentino paired with Gina Franco on Thursday afternoon to pick up a doubles victory from the No. 2 spot.

SENIOR DAY CONCLUDES WITH 9-0 VICTORY: The Salem tennis team picked up its fourth win of April on Thursday afternoon when it avenged a previous setback to Johnson & Wales with a 9-0 victory on Senior Day at the Bert Lain Tennis Center.

Salem (4-7) grabbed the first victory of the match by default as the team of Alyson Gammons and Ashley Linden claimed a point in No. 3 doubles. Senior tandem Alyssa Cosentino and Gino Franco stretched the lead to 2-0 with a decisive 8-1 win over Leeann Sylvester and Miranda Montes in No. 2 doubles.

Salem completed its sweep through doubles action, while assuming a 3-0 lead in the match, with an 8-1 triumph by McKinley Rice and Haley Gilley over the Wildcats' (1-11) tandem of Maira Teurel and Eboni Montague.

Linden and teammate Natasha Guo collected default victories at No. 5 and No. 6 singles, respectively, clinching the team match victory for the Spirits. Gammons took to the court and made quick work of Sylvester, posting a 6-0, 6-0 win in No. 4 singles action.

Leading 6-0 in the team score, Cosentino added to the Salem lead with a 6-0, 7-5 victory in No. 3 action as she defeated Montes. That was followed by a 6-1, 6-3 triumph by Gilley in No. 1 singles play over Teurel.

The final match of the day was won by McKinley Rice, who earned a come-from-behind victory after falling in the first set to Montague. Rice staged her comeback and took Montague to a tiebreaker, where she emerged by scores of 1-6, 6-3 and 10-6.

ANALYZING THE FIGHTING SQUIRRELS: Friday's clash with Mary Baldwin will put the finishing touches on the regular season for the Fighting Squirrels.

Mary Baldwin is 7-14 on the season and 3-5 in USA South action, claiming only one win in its last five matches. That victory (1-0) came by virtue of a no contest against N.C. Wesleyan on April 9th. The last win on the court for the Fighting Squirrels (6-3) came in clash with William Peace on April 2nd.

The top singles winner for Mary Baldwin is Kaitlyn Massie, who is 5-6 on the season with all victories coming as the No. 1 seed. She has one more win than both Alexis Seymore and Hannah Eastridge, who have four each.

The team of Kelly Bantel and Gretchen Lutz are responsible for the most doubles victories (three) for Mary Baldwin. Meanwhile three other doubles teams have two each for the Fighting Squirrels.

ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS MARY BALDWIN
(Salem leads series 4-0)

ANALYZING HOLLINS: Hollins enters its match with Salem on a 12-match losing streak that dates back to March 2nd, when it suffered a 9-0 setback to the University of Lynchburg.

The Spirits are looking to avenge a previous 7-2 setback to Hollins, which marks the last victory, that took place on February 26th.

ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS HOLLINS
(Salem leads series 3-1)