MOBILE, Ala. - The Birmingham-Southern women's tennis team opened the 2024 spring season away at Spring Hill College on Saturday. The Panthers competed extremely well against Division II competition.

The Badgers won all three doubles matches to start the day, but the three Panther duos had promising displays in the first matches of the season. The first doubles match completed was the #3 position with Abbie Bateh and Anna Marie Bentley falling 6-3 while No. 1 duo, Phoebe Shapard and Blakely Valdez, also fell 6-3 in the next completed match. BSC's #2 duo Anna Cate Weeks and Anna Beth Giles won four games but were defeated, 6-4. Spring Hill's doubles win gave them the doubles point on the afternoon.

In singles matches, Birmingham-Southern and Spring Hill won three games a piece. The Badgers won the first three completed singles matches with wins in the No. 3, No. 2, and No. 6 positions. The Panthers then won the final three to tie the singles series at 3-3. No. 4 Anna Cate Weeks got the first win for BSC by defeating her opponent 0-6, 6-2, 10-7 before No. 5 Anna Beth Giles won by opponent retirement 6-7, 4-1. No. 1 Blakely Valdez won the final singles match completed 6-4, 5-7, 10-1, to gain the third point for BSC.

Final: Spring Hill 4, Birmingham-Southern 3

Singles competition
1. Blakely Valdez (BSC) def. Emma Koch (SHC) 6-4, 5-7, 10-1
2. Claire Bosman (SHC) def. Phoebe Shapard (BSC) 6-2, 6-1
3. Brooke Powers (SHC) def. Anna Marie Bentley (BSC) 6-0, 6-2
4. Anna Cate Weeks (BSC) def. Romina Kroemer (SHC) 0-6, 6-2, 10-7
5. Anna Beth Giles (BSC) def. Emma Pager (SHC) 6-7, 4-1, win by retirement
6. Paola Marin Sabao (SHC) def. Meg Griffin (BSC) 6-2, 6-0

Doubles competition
1. Claire Bosman/Brooke Powers (SHC) def. Phoebe Shapard/Blakely Valdez 6-3
2. Romina Kroemer/Emma Pager (SHC) def. Anna Cate Weeks/Anna Beth Giles 6-4
3. Emma Koch/Danielle Day (SHC) def. Abbie Bateh/Anna Marie Bentley 6-3

Records
Birmingham-Southern 0-1 Overall, Spring Hill 1-0 Overall

Up next
The Panthers will stay in Alabama to take on Coastal Alabama Community College in Bay Minette tomorrow, Feb. 4 at 11:00 a.m.