The Lee University women's tennis team opened the home portion of its 2020 season with a 5-2 loss to Tusculum University Tuesday afternoon at the DeVos Tennis Center. The Lady Flames fell to 0-2, while the Pioneers improved to 5-1.

 Ashleigh Simes and Matina Ujdur gave Lee an early advantage in doubles play with a 6-4 win at the No. 1 spot against Elodie Baechler and Tabitha Howe. Leonie Floeth and Paulina Loretz beat Micaela Belen Maiz and Larissa Wieser 6-3. Emilie Hansen and Valentina Loretz outlasted Hayden Smith and Mirjana Ragastovac 7-5 to secure the doubles point for Tusculum.

Simes posted her second win of the day with matching 6-2 scores to beat Baechler at No. 1 singles. The Pioneers regained the lead with Howe's 6-4, 6-3 defeat of Ujdur. Floeth claimed a 7-5, 6-3 win against Belen Maiz to push Tusculum's lead to 3-1. Valentina Loretz clinched the team victory after beating Smith 6-1 and 6-1.

Ragastovac won her first set with Hansen 6-4 and posted a 7-5 score in a tiebreaker to complete the straight set win at No. 4 singles. Paulina Loretz was a 6-1, 6-4 winner against Donaldson at No. 5 singles to supply the final 5-2 team score.

"We get another chance to bounce back tomorrow, so that's what we are going to try and do," said Lee head coach Patric Hynes. "Ash (Simes)is giving us great opportunities and it was good for Mima (Ragastovac) to win her first dual match. We just need to learn from our losses and if we do that, we'll be fine."

The Lady Flames are scheduled to battle West Georgia at 2 p.m. on Wednesday in a Gulf South Conference matchup.