The Presbyterian College women’s tennis team was eliminated from the Big South Championship after a close 4-3 loss to NJIT on April 16 at the Lexington County Tennis Complex.
The match was significant as it marked the end of Presbyterian’s season, with both teams fighting for a spot in the semifinals. The Blue Hose began strong by securing the doubles point, but NJIT rallied in singles play to take the overall victory.
In doubles, NJIT won on court one before Luciana Parrilli and Sofia Rodrigo Hidalgo claimed court three for Presbyterian. The deciding doubles match went to Grace Katzman and Mary Ellen Longmire, who clinched the point with an 8-6 tiebreaker win on court two. Rodrigo Hidalgo extended Presbyterian’s lead with a straight-set singles win on court five. Longmire added another singles victory on court six, giving her ninth singles win of the season and putting Presbyterian ahead 3-1.
NJIT responded by winning matches on courts four and three, narrowing Presbyterian’s lead. On court one, Ladina Bruhin took the first set but Laura Wipfli came back to win in three sets for NJIT. The final match came down to Roxana Valdes on court two; she forced a third set but ultimately fell short as Paula Alvarez secured NJIT’s fourth point and clinched their advancement.
Katzman and Longmire ended their season with ten doubles wins—most on the team—and finished with a notable 9-2 record specifically at second doubles. Rodrigo Hidalgo earned her fifth singles victory of 2026 during this tournament round.
The defeat concludes Presbyterian’s season with an overall record of seven wins and fourteen losses.
