RADFORD, Va. – A 2018-19 season that featured the second most wins of the Division I era came to an end Wednesday as No. 8 seed USC Upstate eliminated No. 9 seed Longwood from the Big South Championship tournament at the Radford University Tennis Complex.
 
The loss finalizes the first winning season of the Big South era for Longwood women's tennis, which posted a 12-10 overall record under first-year head coach and second-year Longwood director of tennis Jhonnatan Medina Alvarez. Those 12 wins trail only the 2009-10 team that finished 13-8 for the most in the 15-year Division I era.
 
"As much as we wanted to win today, this match was about understanding how to play in a conference tournament," said Medina Alvarez, who has also led the Lancer men to a 13-8 record and the No. 6 seed in the Big South Championship. "For half of our team, this was their first time in this setting and it was a bit overwhelming for them. Overall, having a winning season, being able to play great teams and win back-to-back matches, having positive records from many different players were all big accomplishments.
 
"As a group, we've been able to learn and grow this season and embrace this new culture I wanted to bring in based on ability, hard work, dedication and passion, and some other things that are required to be successful. We're on the right track, but there's always room for improvement."
 
The women's team's first season under Medina Alvarez came to a close Tuesday at the hands of the Spartans (4-18, 2-7 Big South), who followed a doubles-point win with three straight-set singles victories to take Tuesday's first-round showdown in the Big South postseason. The loss spoiled the Lancers' bid for a second straight trip to the Big South quarterfinals and instead sent USC Upstate onward for a Wednesday matchup against No. 1 seed Winthrop.
 
USC Upstate's All-Big South ace Victoria Saldh clinched the win with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 victory over Longwood junior Marija Venta, giving the Spartans their match-winning fourth point and halting two comebacks in progress with Lancer sophomore Yulia Almiron up 3-1 in the third set at No. 3 and freshman Emma Nurgazieva up 2-0 in her third set at No. 4.
 
USC Upstate No. 2 Noelia Acuna and No. 6 Ana Boza also contributed singles wins to set up Saldh's clincher.
 
The postseason loss was a rematch of the first meeting between Longwood and USC Upstate on April 11 where just five days prior to Tuesday's first round the Spartans pulled out a 4-3 win in Spartanburg, S.C. That was one of three narrow 4-3 defeats the Lancers suffered during a Big South schedule in which they finished 2-7 with wins over UNC Asheville and Hampton.
 
"Last year there were a lot of matches where we were in it, but the score never reflected the effort the team put in. This year we played against many teams where we were able to take lines and almost beat them," Medina Alvarez said.
 
"That's a positive as we move forward into next season, and as we continue to build, we not only need to players with different perspective, but take our current players and ask what kind of improvement we need. Is it physical, is it mental? Those are the questions we'll approach in the offseason, but right now we know we have a strong foundation in place, and that's because of how this team embraced the changes we're trying to implement this year."
 
Four of Longwood's six players finished above .500 in singles play, including freshman Emma Nurgazieva who led the team with a 16-4 record playing the bulk of those at Nos. 4 and 5. Junior Jamie Breunig finished 15-7 in the top half of the lineup, Yulia Almiron went 13-7 playing all of her bouts in the top half of the rotation, and freshman Anika Tylek went 12-8 splitting her time throughout the lower half of the singles lineup. Junior ace Marija Venta also reached double-digit wins, finished 10-11 after playing her final 16 bouts at the No. 1 position.
 
Every returning Lancer on the roster from last year set career highs in singles wins, while the No. 1 doubles pairing of Nurgazieva and Crystal Nzewi finished above .500 at 8-7, and the veteran duo of Almiron and Breunig came in at an even 10-10 on the year.
 
"Overall we made a great effort today and throughout the season," Medina Alvarez said. "Having a small team can be hard, but everybody put in time and has done what I've asked. For that I'm pleased. I do feel we have to grow emotionally and know we have to give more back to the program; not just what's asked, but more than that."
 
Without a senior on this year's squad, all six players from Longwood's roster this season will return in 2019-20.
 
USC Upstate 4, Longwood 0
April 16, 2019
Radford, Va. (Radford Tennis Complex)
 
Singles competition
1. SALDH, Victoria (UPSTW) def. VENTA, Marija (LWU) 7-6 (7-5), 6-2
2. ACUNA, Noelia (UPSTW) def. BREUNIG, Jamie (LWU) 6-0, 6-4
3. HELLBERG, Elin (UPSTW) vs. ALMIRON, Yulia (LWU) 6-2, 0-6, 1-3, unfinished
4. JARDIM, Maria (UPSTW) vs. NURGAZIEVA, Emma (LWU) 6-1, 3-6, 0-2, unfinished
5. ZARAMA, Vale (UPSTW) vs. TYLEK, Anika (LWU) 6-4, 1-4, unfinished
6. BOZA, Ana (UPSTW) def. NZEWI, Crystal (LWU) 6-2, 6-2
 
Doubles competition
1. NZEWI, Crystal/NURGAZIEVA, Emma (LWU) def. JARDIM, Maria/ZARAMA, Vale (UPSTW) 4-3
2. HELLBERG, Elin/SALDH, Victoria (UPSTW) def. VENTA, Marija/TYLEK, Anika (LWU) 6-0
3. ACUNA, Noelia/CEVALLOS, Gabriela (UPSTW) def. ALMIRON, Yulia/BREUNIG, Jamie (LWU) 6-2
 
Match Notes
Longwood 12-10, 2-7 BSC
USC Upstate 4-18, 2-7 BSC
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (2,6,1)
First Round of Big South Championship
T-2:10 A-34
 
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