ATLANTA, Ga. (JMU Athletics) – James Madison returned to the win column after capturing the doubles point and earning three singles victories, including one in comeback fashion to defeat Georgia State, 4-1, on Friday afternoon at the Georgia State Tennis Center.

JMU (4-9, 2-1 Sun Belt) produced a pair of 6-1 wins in doubles play for the early lead and later won a pair of singles bouts in straight sets. With the match not yet in hand, the final three courts all went to a third set with JMU forcing third sets in each match.

Hope Moulin, playing on court six, dropped just four total games over the final two sets to clinch the match, as she rallied past Pragnya Kumar, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 for the decisive point.

JMU also got wins on courts four and five, as Ines Oliveira won her fourth straight match with a 6-4, 6-0 victory against Sara Radojevic, while Mia Saveljic extended the lead to 3-1 with her 6-3, 6-3 triumph versus Luciana Galvez. At the time JMU went up 3-1, GSU held leads on the final three courts before JMU forced those crucial third sets.

Georgia State (2-9, 1-2 Sun Belt) earned their point on court two, as Francesca Miglio downed Elena Kraleva, 6-4, 6-0 to tie the match at 1-1, prior to JMU’s three straight victories.

Two other singles matches went unfinished, as Daria Munteanu (court one) and Sophie Williams (court three) rallied in their respective second sets, with each winning 7-5 tiebreaks, to force thirds.

Prior to singles, JMU gained the early advantage with a pair of 6-1 wins. After GSU took court one, 6-0, the tandems of Moulin and Munteanu on court three and Kraleva and Saveljic on court two clinched the doubles point with lopsided wins.

It was JMU’s first meeting with Georgia State since joining the Sun Belt and its first since 2012, as the Dukes captured their first win over the Panthers in four attempts (1-3). Friday’s match also marked the inaugural regular-season meeting between the two, as GSU’s three wins all occurred in the conference tournament while they were Colonial Athletic Association members.

JMU is back in action on Sunday, March 16 when it travels to Troy for an 11 a.m. ET (10 a.m. CT).

JMU 4, Georgia State 1
Doubles Results
Court 1: Pragnya Kumar/Sierra Sandy (GSU) def. #51 Ines Oliveira/Sophie Williams (JMU), 6-0
Court 2: Elena Kraleva/Mia Saveljic (JMU) def. Francesca Miglio/Maria Paredes (GSU), 6-1
Court 3: Hope Moulin/Daria Munteanu (JMU) def. Luciana Galvez/Sara Radojevic (GSU), 6-1

Singles Results
Court 1: Daria Munteanu (JMU) vs. Maria Paredes (GSU), 0-6, 7-6 (5), 2-5 unfinished
Court 2: Francesca Miglio (GSU) def. Elena Kraleva (JMU), 6-4, 6-0
Court 3: Sophie Williams (JMU) vs. Zeynep Erbakan (GSU), 1-6, 7-6 (5), 1-1 unfinished
Court 4: Ines Oliveira (JMU) def. Sara Radojevic (GSU), 6-4, 6-0
Court 5: Mia Saveljic (JMU) def. Luciana Galvez (GSU), 6-3, 6-3
Court 6: Hope Moulin (JMU) def. Pragnya Kumar (GSU), 2-6, 6-2, 6-2

Order of Results: Doubles (1, 3, 2*), Singles (2, 4, 5, 6*)

— JMU Athletics —