HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (March 8, 2019) â€" Marlaina Peterson and Taylor Graalman went perfect through five singles matches this week in leading the Milligan College tennis teams to a successful trip to Hilton Head Island this week during spring break. Peterson's effort led the women (8-3 overall) to a 4-1 record this week while Graalman's effort led the men (6-5 overall) to a 3-2 record.
 
Peterson went 5-0 without dropping a set, including starting and ending the trip with 6-0, 6-0 wins. The Buffs started with an 8-1 win over Randolph College, dropped the next match 6-3 to Missouri Valley, then concluded the trip with three straight wins (5-4 vs. Wallace State Community College, 7-2 vs. Spring Arbor and 7-2 vs. Eastern Nazarene College).
 
Minda Martin also posted an undefeated week in singles action, going 3-0 with two wins coming at No. 2 singles. Peterson and Martin combined for the top number of doubles wins with a 3-1 record together. Karson Light went 4-1 split between No. 3 and No. 4 singles.
 
For the season, Peterson moved to 10-1 with a 6-0 record at No. 6 singles. Light moved to 9-2 with four wins at No. 3. Martin and Chessa Jones have won seven and six singles matches, respectively. Peterson and Martin have posted a team-most four wins as a doubles pair.
 
Similar to Peterson, Graalman won all five matches this week only dropping one set. It came in a match the Buffs lost as a team as they fell to Missouri Valley 7-2 on the second day of the trip. This was after starting the week with a 9-0 sweep of Roanoke College, and the Buffs later followed with mixed results in their last three (5-4 win vs. Wallace State, 7-2 loss vs. Spring Arbor and 7-2 win vs. Drew University).
 
Thomas Hurt won three singles matches for the week, including a three-setter that helped Milligan seal a 5-4 win over Wallace State.
 
In men's doubles action, Graalman/Mason Grear and Griffin Leonard/Charlie Moseley both went 3-2 as No. 1 and No. 2 doubles pairs. Boone Allison and Joseph Lyttle led the doubles teams with a 4-1 record, all at No. 3 doubles.
 
With a 5-0 record for the week, Graalman continued his perfect season as he moved to 11-0. Hurt is 7-3 and four other Buffs have four or more wins this season.
 
Up next, Milligan's women will face Appalachian Athletic Conference foe Brenau University Friday, March 15, at 3 p.m. in Gainesville, Georgia. After that, they will re-join the men for a women's and men's dual match at SCAD Atlanta Saturday, March 16, at 11 a.m. in Atlanta. The next home match for the Buffs is scheduled for Saturday, March 23, at 11 a.m. versus Southeastern University.