CHATTANOOGA – The No. 8 University of North Georgia women's tennis team took down Catawba in a close 4-3 contest Tuesday at the Scenic City College Tennis Spring Break Showcase.

UNG dominated the early hours of the match. All three doubles matches went to the Nighthawks by a score of 6-2, giving the squad an early 1-0 advantage into singles. Then it was senior Svetlana Teterina who took the #5 singles match 6-0, 6-1 to give UNG the first singles win of the match.

Junior Angelina Linnikova then won the #1 singles match 6-0, 7-6 (7-2) a few minutes later. 

With a firm 3-0 stranglehold on the competition, the Nighthawks needed only one more win in the singles portion to clinch the match.

However, Catawba won the next three matches in the #2, #3 and #6 singles battles forcing the match to a deciding final showdown between Nighthawk junior Ashley Moinard and Catawba sophomore Matilde Moretti. Moretti opened the match with a 6-4, first-set win. Then Moinard responded by forcing the contest to a third set after taking the second 6-3.

In the third, Moinard took control and won the tiebreaker 10-5 to lock up the match for her team. 

With the win, the Nighthawks remain undefeated at 10-0 on the season. Moinard's personal record in singles matches moved to 8-1 after her victory. Her match-clinching win marks her eighth in a row in singles play.

UNG now has one match left to play in the Scenic City Showcase. The Nighthawks will finish the event with a Saturday, Mar. 16 match against Belmont Abbey. First serve is set for 10 a.m.