CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Charleston Southern women's tennis team opened the 2012 season in style Saturday by cruising to a 6-1 victory over Georgia Southern at Buccaneer Tennis Center.

CSU posted wins over the Eagles in seven of nine matches to upend its Southern Conference foe.

The tandem of senior Olga Makhova and junior Marija Dzakovic paced the Bucs in doubles play by racking up an 8-3 win over the Eagles top duo of Aleix Prickett and Natalie Maffett. Georgia Southern came out on top in the second doubles match, but Susita Das and Alia Nour secured an 8-1 win to assure CSU of the advantage in the doubles portion of competition.

Makhova lost a tough three-set match to GSU's Paolo Garrido, but her teammates picked her up by topping the Eagles in each of the other five bouts. All five of those matches were claimed in straight sets, with Angelica Sidorenko, Yvonne Hubler, and Dzakovic winning one set apiece by a 6-0 final.

Sophomores AJ Walters and Nour earned victories out of the number five and six singles slots by final tallies of 6-2, 6-4; and 6-2, 7-5.

CSU returns to action this Friday when they travel to the upstate to participate in the Clemson Winter Indoor Classic. The event extends through Sunday, as the Bucs will get a chance to test themselves against a field headlined by the No. 14 Tigers.

FINAL RESULTS

DOUBLES
1. CSU Olga Makhova & Marija Dzakovic def. GSU Aleix Prickett & Natalie Maffett 803
2. GSU Paola Garrido & Caitlin Kitchen def. CSU Yvonne Hubler & AJ Water 8-7 (7-4)
3. CSU Susita Das & Alia Nour def. GSU Ali Beeler & Cameron Williams 8-1

SINGLES
1. GSU Paola Garrido def. CSU Olga Makhova 2-6, 6-4, 10-6
2. CSU Angelica Sidorenko def. GSU Alexis Prickett 6-3, 6-0
3. CSU Yvonne Hubler def. GSU Ali Beeler 6-0, 6-4
4. CSU Marija Dzakovic def. Natalie Maffett 6-0, 6-4
5. CSU AJ Walters def. GSU Cameron Williams 6-2, 6-4
6. CSU Alia Nour def. GSU Alex Langmo 6-2, 7-5

FINAL SCORE: CSU 6, GSU 1