JONESBORO, Ga. | The second-seeded Tuskegee University women's tennis team came up short in their quest for a 15th conference championship, falling to top-seeded Benedict 5-1 in the SIAC Tennis Championships held at the Clayton County International Tennis Courts Saturday afternoon.
 
The score was not indicative of the play after the completion of doubles.
 
Benedict took an early lead in doubles play as the team of Daniella Rios and Danyelle Copeland defeated Tuskegee's Navilla Paul and Kimberly Bowen, 8-1; then extended the lead to 2-0 when the number three team of Juliette Campbell and Adrienne Millow defeated the Lady Golden Tigers' team of Kayla Triche and Taylor Wilson, 8-2.
 
The final doubles match to come off the court was the number one team of Reicia North and Monica Thomas battled throughout the match before being broken twice late and falling to Benedict's Karla Flores and Esther Zelaya, 8-4.
 
Tuskegee needed to win five of the six singles matches, and they proved they were worthy of the fight that was needed to win the match. After Benedict took a 4-0 lead, the Lady Golden Tigers worked their way back into the match.
 
They won at number one when North defeated Flores in three sets 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; while they led in two other matches (two and six) when the match was decided with a three-set win by Rios at number three.
 
Tuskegee ends the season 14-6 overall, with their only two losses against conference opponents this season against Benedict. The Lady Golden Tigers had six players named All-Conference, scattered among the first and second teams, and had the Freshman of the Year – Monica Thomas – in the conference.
 
The Lady Golden Tigers had two players named All-Tournament for their performance during the two days here in North and Paul in singles, and the team of North and Thomas in doubles.
 
Benedict 5, Tuskegee 1
 
Singles
1. Reicia North (Tuskegee) def. Karla Flores (Benedict) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
2. Monica Thomas (Tuskegee) led Esther Zelaya (Benedict) 5-7, 7-5, 1-0, DNF
3. Daniella Rios (Benedict) def. Navilla Paul (Tuskegee) 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
4. Danyelle Copeland (Benedict) def. Kayla Triche (Tuskegee), 6-0, 6-0
5. Kimberly Bowen (Tuskegee) led Juliette Campbell (Benedict) 6-2, 2-2, DNF
6. Adrienne Millow (Benedict) vs. Taylor Wilson (Tuskegee), DNP
 
Doubles
1. Flores/Zelaya (Benedict) def. North/Thomas (Tuskegee), 8-4
2. Rios/Copeland (Benedict) def. Paul/Bowen (Tuskegee), 8-1
4. Campbell/Millow (Benedict) def. Triche/Wilson (Tuskegee), 8-2
 
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