The #3 women's tennis team in the NAIA showed their strength at home on Friday, downing the 18th-ranked Gyrenes of Ave Maria in straight sets 4-0, advancing to 8-2 on the season and dropping the Gyrenes to 1-8. With the win the Fire also claimed their second Sun Conference win of the season.
Doubles started strong as the arrangements from the Fire looked a little more different than the usual, nevertheless the Fire made short work of the Gyrenes claiming the two wins necessary for the first point of the match.
Martina Picardi and
Simone Simas downed Nicolle Koop and Abigail Rich 6-1 in the second flight, and
Neleah Neiberline and
Ingrid Montserrat followed suit with a 6-2 win in the third flight earning the Fire that early 1-0 advantage.
Flaminia Guidantoni and
Irene Lopez played together this time around; their match against the #18 doubles team in Vitoria Barandas and Clara Penido of Ave Maria went unfinished. The Fire led the first flight match 5-4 when it was called.
Singles play also favored the Fire with line's five, four, and three being the only matches that finished. Montserrat started the winning for the Fire with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Rich.
Simone Simas came next with a 6-3, 6-1 win in the fourth line over Koop, bringing the Fire within one point of the four points required for a match win.
Guidantoni was the one who gave Southeastern that match point, playing confidently and dominating Berns 6-1, 6-1.
Lines one, two, and six went unfinished thanks to the three Fire athletes who did finish their matches. #19 Picardi was split with #45 Barandas 2-6, 4-3, Neiberline was in a similar situation, after dropping the first set to Penido 6-4 she led the second round 4-3. Lopez played after sitting out the contest against Colgate University due to injury, Lopez was leading 6-2, 4-3.
Women's tennis prepares for a busy week ahead, as on Monday they head to Hillsborough Community College for a contest at 3 p.m., Friday they pay a visit to #7 St. Thomas for more Sun Conference play. To wrap up the week, the #3 Fire head on over to the #2 Keiser University in West Palm for a battle of the titans within Sun Conference play, that contest will begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
