The women’s tennis teams competed in the AAC conference tournaments last weekend and fell just short of a conference championship.

 

Coming in as the No. 3 seed, Milligan was matched up with No. 6 Columbia (SC) for the first round. The Lady Buffs managed a shutout, winning five games and losing none.

 

The win put them in the semifinals in a matchup against the No. 2 seeded Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Atlanta, who were ranked No. 23 in the country.

 

Despite being the lower seed, Milligan managed to pull off the upset in a close game, winning 5-4. Big wins from sophomore Abigail Allen and freshman Kate Booker sealed the deal for the Buffs.

 

“(SCAD-Atlanta) was probably our biggest competition, so it was really cool beating them,” said Booker. “It was close both times we played them in the season, so it was really nerve-wracking, but we pulled it out.”

 

Booker and Allen were two of the players during the regular season to earn conference awards. Allen won AAC player of the week four times during the season, and Booker also earned it once alongside senior Men’s Tennis player Jackson Lenoir.

 

“It was a great honor,” said Booker. “I’ve been working hard so it’s nice to be recognized.”

 

The big win in the semifinals carried the team into the next day of play where they were matched up against No. 1 seeded Reinhardt University.

 

Despite strong wins from the doubles team of Allen and Lexie Hill and singles player Rachel Hodas, Milligan fell short in the championship. There is a lot to look forward to for next year, however.

 

There are only three seniors on this year’s team and no juniors. Eight freshmen and one sophomore make up the rest of the roster. The seniors played at the top three spots, so the younger players will have to be ready to step up to the higher spots next year.  

 

“We’re losing our top three players, so we’re going to have to work really hard this summer,” said Booker. “It was great to have the seniors; they were a big part of our team, and we’re really going to miss them.”