Tennis Fillies staying busy

TIFTON -- The Abraham Baldwin Fillies tennis team began the month of April with three matches in four days.

This past Friday the Fillies were in Montgomery, Ala. to take part in the Small College Blue and Gray championships. In ABAC's first match, the Fillies fell 5-2 to Emory-Riddle, a four-year school from Daytona Beach.

Both of ABAC's wins against Emory-Riddle came by forfeit. Anna Daniel and Amanda Cumbess won at No. 3 doubles, while Cumbess won at No. 6 singles.

On Saturday, the Fillies fell 5-0 to Savannah College of Art and Design, another four-year school. The closest ABAC came to a victory was at No. 1 doubles when the team of Florencia Torres and Ashley Jacobs was defeated by a 9-8 score.

After returning home Sunday, the Fillies were back on the courts Monday for a home match against Georgia Southwestern. ABAC came away with an 8-1 victory in the match over the four-year school.

The Fillies got a pair of 8-2 doubles wins from Torres and Jacobs at No. 1 and from Whitney Lightfoot and Kelli Helms at No. 2 to begin the match.

At No. 3, the team of Daniel and Cumbess battled Georgia Southwestern's Laura Snyder, who played at Irwin County High School, and Lauren Hayes.

Tied at 8-8, the match went to a tie-breaker which was won 9-7 by the ABAC duo.

"The Cumbess-Daniel win was big at No. 3 doubles, and it carried over to singles. They fought off four match points to win the tie-breaker," ABAC coach Alton Hudgins said.

As Hudgins stated, ABAC rolled in singles.

Torres won 6-2, 6-4 at No. 1, while Helms won 6-4, 6-1 at No. 2. Jacobs got a 6-2, 6-0 win at No. 3 and Lightfoot won 6-1, 6-2 at No. 4. ABAC's final win came at No. 5 singles as Daniel won 6-2, 6-0.

Cumbess was defeated at No. 6, 3-6, 6-1, (6-10).

Besides the regulation wins, ABAC also got an exhibition singles win from Ambur Humphrey, 6-1, 6-1.

"We are playing well right now, despite losing the two matches this past weekend," Hudgins said.

The Fillies will be back on the court Friday at Oxford (Emory).

The match will begin at 3:30 p.m.