CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A season unlike any other marches on – Charleston Southern women's tennis are Big South champions.

The Buccaneers (10-7, 6-0 Big South) took down Radford (8-11, 4-2 Big South) 4-1 Sunday in the 2021 Hercules Tires Big South Women's Tennis Championships completing an 8-0 season against Big South opponents.

Charleston Southern got things rolling early with a doubles point as Zoe Cauthen and Tiffany Pyritz won their match 6-2 then Madalina Man and Khyanna Singh finished it with a 6-2 score at the top flight.

Luiza Fullana extended the Buccaneer lead to 2-0 making quick work on the second court sweeping-away her counterpart 6-0, 6-1. Radford got on the board with a Malik Falk straight-set win on court three, but the top-seeded and regular season champion Bucs stopped the momentum there.

Michelle Schmitz collected her ninth singles win of the season taking down her opposition 6-3, 6-2 on the fifth court setting the stage for a hero Sunday.

Down a set and needing just one singles point to win the title, Zoe Cauthen dug-in and flipped the script. Just as she did in the regular season-clinching match, Cauthen showed grit to win the final two sets by a pair of 6-3 scores for the fourth and final point Sunday.

Sunday's championship gives the Bucs the most wins all-time in the Big South Championships among active members and punched their ticket to the 2021 NCAA Championships.
 
How it Happened

• Just as they did all year, Cauthen and Pyritz got the day started with a quick 6-2 doubles win on court two
• Madalina Man and Khyanna Singh avenged their regular season doubles loss on the top flight clinching on a 6-2 win as well
• Luiza Fullana made quick work for the Bucs' second point and her seventh win of the season
• Michelle Schmitz answered Radford's lone tally on the day for a CSU 3-1 lead taking care of business 6-3, 6-2
• Zoe Cauthen clinched the Bucs' first Big South Championship and second NCAA appearance with a comeback 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory on the fourth flight

News and Notes

• Zoe Cauthen and Michelle Schmitz moved into a tie for most singles wins on the team with nine clinching the final two Buccaneer tallies
• Charleston Southern's win Sunday gave them 22 all-time wins in the Big South tournament, the most among active members
• Cauthen's win at the fourth flight clinched the Bucs' second appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since the 2015 postseason
• Charleston Southern improves to 7-0 all-time against the Highlanders in the postseason and 12-8 all-time in the state of North Carolina
• Luiza Fullana and Michelle Schmitz both finished 2-0 in singles play over the tournament

Up Next
Charleston Southern awaits their NCAA Tournament seeding as the Selection Show will be held Monday, May 3 at 6 p.m.

Charleston Southern 4, Radford 1

Singles
Madalina Man (CHSO) vs. Salma Loudili (RAD) 6-7 (4-7), 4-2 unfinished
Luiza Fullana (CHSO) def. Melissa Ifidzhen (RAD) 6-0, 6-1
Malin Falk (RAD) def. Khyanna Singh (CHSO) 6-0, 6-0
Zoe Cauthen (CHSO) def. Emily Brandow (RAD) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
Michelle Schmitz (CHSO) def. Katey Fruehauf (RAD) 6-3, 6-2
Tiffany Pyritz (CHSO) vs. Camryn McClure (RAD) 6-3, 4-6, 1-1 (unfinished)

Doubles
Man/Singh (CHSO) def. Loudili/Ifiszhen (RAD) 6-2
Cauthen/Pyritz (CHSO) def. Falk/Brandow (RAD) 6-2
Fullana/Schmitz (CHSO) vs. Blalock/Fruehauf (RAD) 3-5 (unfinished)

Order of Finish
Singles: 2, 3, 5, 4
Doubles: 2, 1