TUSKEGEE, Ala. – Tuskegee women's tennis continued its dominant stretch through Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) competition with a convincing 6-1 home victory over Clark Atlanta on Saturday afternoon at the Pepsico Tennis Courts.
With the win, the Golden Tigers improved to 8-4 overall and a flawless 7-0 in SIAC play.
Tuskegee wasted no time asserting control of the match, sweeping all three doubles courts to take the early point.
At No. 1 doubles, the duo of
Tanyaradzwa Kaome and
Leiloni Payton dismantled Clark Atlanta's top team of Jumai Muhammed and Joiya Middlebrooks with a clean 6-0 sweep.
On court two,
Dayna Jackson and
Gabrielle Blanks combined for a near-flawless 6-1 victory over Alexandra Turnbough and Keynon Thompkins.
Meanwhile, the pairing of
Gabrielle Geary and
Taylor Ford continued their strong run with a 6-2 win at No. 3 doubles over the final Clark Atlanta tandem, giving Tuskegee a commanding 1-0 lead entering singles play.
In singles competition, Tuskegee carried over its momentum with straight-set victories on five of the six courts.
Kaome was sharp at the No. 2 position, defeating Thompkins 6-3, 6-2 in a match that saw her dictate points with aggressive baseline play and strong serve placement.
Payton followed suit at No. 3, grinding out a 7-5, 6-3 win over Troupe in a physical contest that featured long rallies and excellent shot selection.
Jackson continued her consistent season with a 6-3, 6-1 triumph at No. 4 singles, overpowering Middlebrooks with consistent returns and excellent movement.
Ford delivered one of her most well-rounded performances of the year at the No. 5 position, taking down Turnbough 6-4, 6-2 in a matchup defined by key points at the net and smart shot placement.
Chloe Griffin-Harrington provided the most dominant singles result of the day at the No. 6 spot, dismantling Allen 6-1, 6-0 in a clinical showing that featured minimal unforced errors and superior control.
Clark Atlanta picked up its lone point of the match at the No. 1 singles position, where Muhammed edged Blanks in a three-set thriller.
After Blanks rebounded from a first-set loss with a dominant 6-2 second set, the match came down to a tightly contested super tiebreak, where Muhammed held on for a 10-6 decision.
With the victory, Tuskegee extends its conference winning streak and continues to build momentum heading into the back half of the regular season.
The Golden Tigers have now dropped just four total points across their seven SIAC matches and will look to remain unbeaten in league play as the postseason approaches.
Up Next
The two programs will face each other again next weekend, meeting this time in Atlanta at the CAU Tennis Courts. First serve is set for 2 p.m. ET.
How to Follow the Golden Tigers
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GoldenTigerSports.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
