SPARTANBURG, S.C. – This weekend will be exciting for Valkyrie tennis fans as both teams clash with two of the top teams in Conference Carolinas this season. Converse will host Mount Olive on Friday afternoon, before welcoming nationally ranked Francis Marion on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Converse University women's tennis team currently sits in third place in the Conference Carolinas standings with a 7-6 overall record and a 4-1 conference record. The Valkyries have won two straight matches and they hold a 3-1 record at home this season. Last time out, the Valkyries eked out a 4-3 win over North Greenville on Saturday afternoon.
 
In singles action this season, Luiza Estrada leads the team with 6-5 overall record and a 4-1 conference record. Estrada is 3-0 at the No. 3 singles flight and 3-4 at the No.4 singles court this season. Senior Maria Belen Vendrell is 5-6 overall this season and 3-2 in conference action, playing primarily at the No. 1 singles court. Tonya Glogowski-Watson is 5-7 overall and 3-2 in conference action, playing at the No. 2 singles flight. In doubles action the Valkyries top tandem of Estrada and Glogowski-Watson is 5-7 overall and 3-2 in conference play.
 
The Mount Olive women's team comes into Spartanburg with a 9-2 overall record and an unblemished 5-0 Conference Carolinas record. The Trojans have won six straight matches dating back to February. Last time out the Trojans defeated Lees-McCrae 6-1 and won swept the doubles matches. The only court the Trojans lost at was the No. 3 singles flight.
 
Francis Marion comes into the weekend ranked No. 68 in the country, the Patriots are 10-3 overall and 5-0 in Conference play. Francis Marion has won nine straight matches dating back to February 13. Last time out, the Patriots swept a shorthanded King team 7-0. In singles action, the Patriots have six players with at least seven wins this season. Camryn Cassetori (7-3), Gabriel Karatantcheva (7-2), Julie Matrincova (7-4), Hermon Mikael (7-4), Sophia Hansen (9-3) and Paige Wise (9-0). Wise is also 5-0 in conference and has played the entire season at either the No. 1 or No. 2 singles court. In doubles the Patriots No. 3 tandem of Cassetori and Karatantcheva are 10-2 overall and 4-0 in conference action.
 
On the men's side the Valkyries are currently sitting in third place in the conference standings with an 8-6 overall record and a 4-1 conference record. Converse has won two straight matches and is 3-1 at home this season.
 
Converse has found a lot of success in singles this season, led by Merlin Bellet. Bellet is 10-2 overall and 5-0 in conference action this season. Bellet is 8-2 in two set matches and 2-0 in three set matches this season. Gregoire Legrand is the only other Valkyrie with a perfect 5-0 record in conference play. Legrand is 6-5 overall but is 5-0 at the No. 4 singles flight this season. Paul Berrouet is 7-4 overall and 4-1 in conference play, while Cameron Davies is 6-5 overall and 4-1 in conference play at the No. 6 singles flight. Louka Queguiner is 6-6 overall and is 3-2 in conference action, playing primarily at the No. 3 singles court. Leopold Morel is the Valkyries No.2 singles player and is currently on a two-match winning streak.
 
In doubles action the Valkyries top tandem of Morel and Queguiner is 5-1 overall and 4-1 in conference action this season. The Valkyries No. 2 doubles team of Bellet and Berrouet is 4-2 overall and 3-2 in conference play. The tandem of Davies and Legrand boasts a 5-4 overall record and a 3-1 record in conference at the No. 3 doubles flight.
 
Mount Olive comes into Friday's matchup as the No. 4 team in the conference with a 7-3 overall record and a 3-1 record in the conference. The Trojans have won three straight matches but they are just 1-1 in matches played away from their home venue. Last weekend the Trojans had back-to-back 6-1 wins over King and Lees-McRae.
 
On Saturday afternoon the Valkyries will welcome their first ever nationally ranked opponent to town, with No. 38 Francis Marion. The Patriots are 10-2 overall and 4-0 in Conference Carolinas action this season. Francis Marion has won 10 straight matches dating back to February 5^th. The Patriots top two singles players (Liam Day and Harri Lloyd-Evans have both won 10 matches this season and they are currently undefeated in conference play. Martin Barbera and Luis Lopez Sarasa are both 8-3 and 4-0 in conference action, playing primarily at the No. 4 and No. 5 singles courts.
 
In doubles action the Patriots top duo of Day and Leonel Gonzalez are 11-0 and 4-0 in conference play. The No. 2 doubles team of Lloyd-Evans and Martin Barbera is 8-4 overall and the No. 3 team of Adam Ernberg and Lopez Sarasa is 9-2 overall.
 
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