TUSKEGEE, Ala. -  The Tuskegee University women's tennis team began the 2018 spring season falling just short in its home opener 5-4 to Point University on Wednesday. The Skyhawks won their women's tennis season opener for the first time in five seasons of competition.
 
Head coach Chad Simpson, commented, "Luz Padilla came up big in singles, winning a come-from-behind three-set match and was very clutch and calm under pressure.  We are hungry to return to the practice court to keep developing our games."
 
Padilla (Tucuman, Argentina), the team's only senior, lost set one at number four singles to Tuskegee's Jocelyn Horton, 6-3, but rallied and won sets two and three, 6-1 and 6-2.  Her victory gave Point its fifth team point and clinched the victory for the Skyhawks.  Padilla's victory also was her 17th career singles win, a new school record.  Padilla also ranks second in Point history with 17 career doubles wins.
 
With Point leading 5-3 after Padilla's win, Tuskegee's Kori Quillen defeated junior Martina Belloni (Palamos, Spain) in three sets at number five singles, 5-7, 6-4, 10-8, for the final 5-4 score.
 
Point won a default point at number three doubles with Padilla and Belloni accepting the forfeit.  Sophomore Katie Larck (Champaign, IL) and freshman Esther de Miguel (Snellville, GA) made the team score, 2-0, with an 8-0 win at number two doubles over Quillen and Horton. Tuskegee's first point was provided by Monica Thomas and Jaiere Harlow at number one doubles with a 9-7 win over freshmen Sofia Villalobos (Athens, GA) and Maddi Marler(Alpharetta, GA).
 

---

MEN
 
On the men's side, Sophomore Federico Barbon (Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina)teamed with junior tri-captain Sam Blackburn (Enterprise, AL) for an 8-2 win at number one doubles against Jaban Hargrove and Brandon Sewell, and sophomore Patrick Tobacco(Hendersonville, N.C.) and freshman Clayton Godfrey (Gray, GA) shut out Jalen Law and Gad Patterson, 8-0, at number two doubles.  Point's freshman tri-captain Joe Klokow (Kennesaw, GA)and junior Kaleb Sosebee (Jefferson, GA) accepted Tuskegee's default at number three doubles.
 
Klokow also defeated Sewell at number one singles, 8-1, and Blackburn shut out Hargrove at number two singles, 8-0.  Tobacco also swept Jalen Law, 8-0, at number three singles, and Godfrey scored an 8-0 win at number four singles over Patterson.  Junior tri-captain Steven Tracy (Saint Simons Island, GA) and junior Kyle Howell (Guyton, GA) both accepted defaults at numbers five and six singles respectively.