The Georgia Southwestern State University men's tennis team wrapped up its 2018 season with a pair of victories over the weekend. GSW defeated Augusta University on Friday, 5-4, to record its first Peach Belt Conference team win in seven years. The Hurricanes followed it up with a 6-3 victory over Montreat College on Saturday morning.
GSW posted a 7-14 record in 2018, the most wins in the program's NCAA Division II era (started in 2007). Beau Millwood closed out his junior season on a three-match winning streak in singles, adding a Peach Belt victory at Young Harris on April 10. The No. 1 doubles team of senior Steven Blythe and junior Alex Canovas Ferrando, along with the No. 2 team of senior Johnathon Martin and freshman Nacho Garcia de Sola won both of their matches over the weekend.
The GSW women's team came up on the short end of a pair of 6-3 scores in their final two matches. Despite losing the team results, the Lady Hurricanes were strong at the top of singles competition. GSW earned points at No. 1 and No. 2 singles both days as juniors Celia del Castillo and Maria Taboada closed out their seasons with back-to-back victories.
The Lady Hurricanes finished with a 7-17 record. The seven wins are the most by the program in five years.
GSW MEN 5, AUGUSTA 4
The Hurricanes swept through doubles play, led by wins from Blythe and Canovas at No. 1 and Martin and Garcia at No. 2. Blythe and Canovas defeated Patrick Oliveira and Alan Vilaro, 9-8 (7-4). Martin and Garcia knocked off Martin Hurtado and Gabriel Dos Santos, 8-6.
Millwood picked up the only victory in matches played out during singles for GSW. Millwood won 6-1, 6-1 at No. 3 over Vilaro. The Hurricanes earned a team point at No. 6 because Augusta defaulted the match due to a lack of traveling players available.
Garcia went to a decisive tiebreaker to decide the match at No. 4 singles, but lost 0-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-7) against Hurtado.
GSW MEN 6, MONTREAT 3
GSW took two of three doubles matches Saturday, cruising to victories at No. 1 for Blythe and Canovas against Leopoldo Lucero and Enrique Smalley, 8-2, and No. 2 for Martin and Garcia against Lorward Choi and David Garcia, 8-1.
Blythe, Canovas and Martin made it a sweep for the day as all three won their singles matches as well. Blythe won at No. 1 against Lucero, 6-1, 6-2. Canovas defeated Jacob Summerville at No. 2, 6-0, 6-1, and Martin came out on top, 6-4, 6-1, at No. 5 against Choi. Millwood finished the season with his third consecutive singles victory, a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 3 over Jackson Plyler.
Garcia went to a decisive tiebreaker for the second straight day to decide the match at No. 4 singles, but fell 2-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-7) to Ben Cree.
GSW WOMEN 3, WEST GEORGIA 6
The Lady Hurricanes fell behind 3-0 after being swept in doubles and split the singles decisions against the Wolves in Carrollton, Ga.
The No. 1 GSW doubles team of Castillo and Taboada lost in a tiebreaker, 9-8 (7-2) against Sara Watson and Gabby Chanthaphaeng. The Lady Hurricanes tandem went on to win in the top two slots in singles play. Castillo was a 6-1, 6-1 winner at No. 1 against Brook Kane and Taboada cruised to a 6-2, 6-0 victory at No. 2 over Watson. The Lady Hurricanes picked up a team point at No. 3 singles as well after West Georgia retired in the first set.
GSW WOMEN 3, AUGUSTA 6
Castillo and Taboada accounted for all three GSW team points in the season finale as the ladies teamed for an 8-6 win at No. 1 doubles over Eva Miralles-Miro and Amelia Pinoargote before earning victories in singles play.
Castillo won 6-4, 6-0 at No. 1 singles against Miralles-Miro and Taboada picked up a 6-4, 6-4 win against Ana Faria at No. 2.