SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Savannah State University women's tennis team (2-10) defeated Lafayette College (6-4) 4-3 for its second consecutive win Wednesday at Tiger Tennis Courts.
 
Savannah State won the doubles point after winning the first two matches.  SSU's doubles duo of freshman Sofia Shut'ko and senior Rachida El Kateb defeated LC's doubles team of Grace Conrad and Meredith Block 6-2 at the No. 2 position to give the Lady Tigers an early 1-0 in the doubles point.
 
The Lady Tigers clinched the point after freshmen Ekaterina Vorobeva and Shakendra Alston defeated Katie Hill and Alexa Cooke 6-2 at the No. 3 position.  At the No. 1 doubles position, SSU's doubles team of freshman Muskaan Ranjan and junior Sansriti Ranjan was tied with LC's doubles duo of Ceclia Lesnick and Samantha Snyder at six forcing a tiebreaker.
 
The tiebreaker was very close throughout as neither doubles team could go up by two points until Lafayette won the tiebreaker 17-15 to avoid the SSU doubles sweep.
 
Savannah State took a 2-0 lead after Muskaan Ranjan defeated Block 6-1, 6-1 at the No. 4 singles position, her second consecutive singles win, and the Lady Tigers took a 3-0 lead after El Kateb defeated Cooke 6-3, 6-1 at the No. 6 singles position, also her second consecutive singles win. 
 
Lafayette got on the board after Snyder defeated Shut'ko 6-1, 6-2 at the No. 2 singles position, but the Lady Tigers clinched the match after Alston defeated Hill 6-4, 6-4 at the No. 5 singles position, her second consecutive singles win, to give SSU a 4-1 lead. 
 
The Leopards won the final two singles matches after Conrad defeated Sansriti Ranjan 6-3, 7-6 (3) at the No. 3 position and Lesnick defeated Vorobeva 7-6 (7) and 7-6 (5) to cut the final deficit of a point.
 
The two wins this season is the first time since the 2015 season and the first time the Lady Tigers won back-to-back matches since 2014 when SSU defeated Albany State University 5-0 Feb. 18 and Benedict College 7-0 Feb. 23.  The last time the Lady Tigers won back-to-back matches against Division I opponents was in 2012 when SSU defeated University of Maryland Eastern Shore 7-0 March 31 and Coppin State University 7-0 April 2. 
 
The Lady Tigers finish the three game homestand with the home finale against Florida A&M University in the only MEAC home match of the season for Senior Day Sunday, March 25 at noon.
  
Savannah State 4, Lafayette 3
Singles
1. Cecelia Lesnick (LC) d. Ekaterina Vorobeva (SSU) 7-6 (7), 7-6 (5)
2. Samantha Snyder (LC) d. Sofia Shut'ko (SSU) 6-1, 6-2
3. Grace Conrad (LC) d. Sansriti Ranjan (SSU) 6-3, 7-6 (3)
4. Muskaan Ranjan (SSU) d. Meredith Block (LC) 6-1, 6-1
5. Shakendra Alston (SSU) d. Katie Hill (LC) 6-4, 6-4
6. Rachida El Kateb (SSU) d. Alexa Cooke (LC) 6-3, 6-1
Order of Finish (4,6,2,5,3,1)
 
Doubles 
1. Ceclia Lesnick/Samantha Snyder (LC) d. Muskaan Ranjan/Sansriti Ranjan (SSU) 7-6 (15)
2. Sofia Shut'ko/Rachida El Kateb (SSU) d. Grace Conrad/Meredith Block (LC) 6-2
3. Ekaterina Vorobeva/Shakendra Alston (SSU) d. Katie Hill/Alexa Cooke (LC) 6-2
Order of Finish (2,3,1)
 
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